WORK AND PENSIONS

SchlumbergerSema

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the objectives in key areas which SchlumbergerSema must meet by May 2002 in order for the company to be granted a contract extension to 2005.

Nick Brown: holding answer 8 January 2002
	The agreement with SchlumbergerSema contains performance and delivery conditions for a contract extension to August 2005. It emphasises the need for the company to meet and improve service standards and commits them to a programme of doctor recruitment. The amendment further requires the contractor to co-operate in the introduction of more fundamental changes in the gathering and presentation of evidence and reports together with the introduction of new processes to reduce the numbers of people who fail to turn up for examinations. It also requires them to agree and document actions to support processes around the intervention regime to be operated in Job Centre Plus as part of the Government's "Welfare to Work" agenda. The agreement to extend the contract must be confirmed or revoked before 31 May 2002.

Pension Credit

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will allow the taking of annuities at any age up to 75 years for the purposes of assessing the proposed pension credit entitlement.

Ian McCartney: A personal pension may be taken from age 50, but an annuity must be purchased by age 75.
	The income from an annuity purchased from a pension fund is treated in the same way as other second pensions within the minimum income guarantee.
	Currently, if a person over 60 has not taken an annuity he is treated as having the income he could obtain if he used his pension fund to buy an annuity.
	We intend to adopt a similar approach in pension credit.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what equipment has been stolen from his Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was;
	(2)  if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Of a total of approximately 109,224 personal computers and laptops owned by the Department 179 have been stolen in the period in question—this represents 0.16 per cent. The total value of these items is estimated to be £217,300.
	Information on items of a lesser value are recorded in the table .
	
		Thefts in Department for Work and Pensions -- 1 May 1997 to end of year 2001
		
			 Category Quantity Estimated total cost 
		
		
			 CPU 64 44,400 
			 Monitor 27 5,290 
			 Keyboard 23 260 
			 Memory Chip 6 3,600 
			 Tape Drive 3 525 
			 Cordless Telephone 1 70 
			 Modem 9 900 
			 Video Camera 2 2,250 
			 Mobile Telephone 9 1,800 
			 Print Sharer 1 100 
			 Digital Camera 1 1,000 
			 Disk Drive 1 200 
			 Multi-media projector 1 3,000 
			 DVD Player 1 281 
			 Server 3 7,500 
			 Card Reader 2 100 
			 Pager 1 50 
			 Mouse 22 511 
			 Printer 72 44,650 
			 Hard Drive 10 1,500 
			 Motherboard 1 150 
			 Fax 3 1,950 
			 Miscellaneous(1)  1,445 
		
	
	(1) Includes such items as server cable, cassette recorders and telephones.

Benefit Fraud

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of East Riding of Yorkshire council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of East Riding of Yorkshire council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	BFI found the council was striving to provide an efficient, secure benefits service and to maintain effective counter fraud performance against a background of staffing difficulties and re-organisation.
	Overall, inspectors identified many good features in the council's performance and examples of effective work. There was a clear commitment to customer service and efforts had been made to raise levels of fraud awareness throughout the council. Additionally, the council has introduced inspectors powers and the "Do Not Redirect" scheme.
	Despite this, the report notes there were a number of areas where performance fell short of requirements. Inspectors consider a key constraint to the council's performance was the high rate of staff turnover and difficulty in maintaining a fully trained complement of staff.
	Inspectors found that the work backlogs resulting from the staffing difficulties were having an adverse effect on standards of service with some delays in processing claims, changes of circumstances and applications for reviews of determinations. Inspectors found the council was addressing shortfalls in performance through a fundamental review of its organisation which included the benefits service.
	The report notes that internal and external audit reports had been responded to promptly which inspectors considered was an indication of the council's commitment to maintaining secure systems.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Benefit Fraud

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Plymouth city council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of Plymouth city council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	BFI inspectors report that the benefit service had been through a period of considerable change prior to the inspection, including a restructure, the introduction of a document image processing (DIP) system and a change in political control. In addition, during the BFI inspection, the council was implementing the Verification Framework and managing a backlog. Overall, inspectors consider the benefit service was having difficulty in an environment of major corporate change.
	Before the inspection the council had taken steps to secure the gateway to benefit with the introduction of the Verification Framework, a new claim form and a system of management checks. Although the council has service level agreements with the local BA and ES, inspectors found the management of these SLAs was limited.
	The report notes that the council works hard to keep payments right with a proactive approach to the follow up of renewal claims and reminders to claimants and landlords of their duty to report changes in circumstances. However BFI considers more could be done to target visiting and tailor benefit periods using risk assessment.
	In common with some authorities, the council's overall performance in the management and control of overpayments is poor. Inspectors report that prompt action to identify overpayments is negated by ineffective recovery processes.
	Although inspectors found fraud investigation work was poor, the report notes that the council had already recognised this and had introduced various policies, guidance and an extensive training programme aimed at improving the quality of the fraud investigations.
	The report concludes that the council has recently made major policy and procedural changes. These changes need to be further developed and implemented before tangible improvements will be realised.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Asbestos Judgment

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Appeal Court decision in the Fairchild case; and if he will introduce legislation to reinstate the principle of apportionment in mesothelioma cases.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are looking closely at the implications of the Appeal Court decision on the Fairchild case. It is too early to determine what action may be necessary.

PRIME MINISTER

North Ayrshire

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit North Ayrshire.

Tony Blair: I have no plans at present to do so.

Arms Sales

Tony Baldry: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions he had with the Indian Government on his recent visit concerning the BAE Systems bid to supply Hawk jets; and if he will make a statement.
	(2)  what discussions he held with the Pakistani Government on his recent visit concerning United Kingdom arms sales; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: During my recent visits to India and Pakistan, I discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest with the Governments of both countries. These covered a number of defence and security matters including defence export opportunities. The Government continue to support the proposals that BAE systems has made for the supply of Hawk jets to India.

Nuclear Security

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made since 11 September 2001 of the security of nuclear plants and radioactive materials in transit against terrorist attack; and if he has discussed the security of nuclear facilities with (a) his European Union counterparts and (b) the United States President, since that date.

Tony Blair: Security and safety precautions at nuclear sites are kept under regular review. The UK's civil nuclear sites apply stringent security measures regulated by the security regulator, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security.
	The security of nuclear material in transit is similarly kept under review. We are also reviewing the transportation of other radioactive materials.
	I have discussed the issue with the Irish Taoiseach. Officials have also discussed the matter with their overseas counterparts since 11 September.
	It is not Government policy to disclose details of security measures taken at civil nuclear sites, or of nuclear materials in transit.

Lord Birt

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 297W, on Lord Birt, under which section of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information he withheld information on the projects worked upon by Lord Birt.

Tony Blair: Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not disclosed under Exemption 2, Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Afghanistan

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 11 December 2001, concerning the UN-led conference at Bonn of the main Afghan factions on 27 November, for what reason the Northern Alliance has been allowed to keep troops in Kabul in breach of the Bonn agreement.

Tony Blair: The Bonn agreement gave a basis for an Interim Administration to be formed in Afghanistan. That Administration is responsible for security within Afghanistan, and is using its police forces in Kabul to provide this with the support of the International Security Assistance Force. Under the terms of the Military Technical Agreement between the Interim Administration and the International Security Assistance Force (signed on 4 January), some military units have left Kabul. All other armed groups in the Kabul area are confined to designated barracks.

International Criminal Court

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his written answer of 14 January 2002, Official Report, column 89W, on the International Criminal Court, if he will place in the Library copies of the written demarches sent to Secretary of State Powell on ratification of the statute of the International Criminal Court.

Tony Blair: Further to my answer of 14 January, two demarches were sent to the US Department of State by the Belgian presidency. One was written, and I am happy to place a copy of that in the Library. The other, I now understand, was changed from a written to an oral demarche by the Belgian presidency.

WALES

Manufacturing

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on Government support for manufacturing industry in Wales.

Don Touhig: Despite recent labour market statistics which reflect the fundamental strength of the Welsh economy, some parts of the economy, such as manufacturing, continue to face real and sustained difficulties.
	There are no simple solutions at hand to ease these problems, but the Government are helping British manufacturing to raise its game and to shift its focus from competing on the basis of cost alone towards high skill, high value-added products and processes.

Manufacturing

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales about Government support for manufacturing industry in Wales.

Paul Murphy: I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues, including manufacturing in Wales.
	Despite recent labour market statistics which reflect the fundamental strength of the Welsh economy, some parts of the economy, such as manufacturing, continue to face real and sustained difficulties.
	There are no simple solutions at hand to ease these problems, but the Government are helping British manufacturing to raise its game and to shift its focus from competing on the basis of cost alone towards high skill, high value-added products and processes.

Miners' Compensation

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the number of claims in Wales under the miners' compensation scheme for respiratory disease that have been settled in full.

Don Touhig: I regularly discuss coal health compensation issues with my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy and attend the UK Coal Health Monitoring Group that he chairs.
	As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales established the Welsh sub-group of the Coal Health Claims Monitoring Group specifically to address coal health issues in Wales and to report back to the GB-wide group. I am convinced the measures discussed, and the actions so far agreed, will further speed up the processing of coal health claims.
	My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy attended the Welsh sub-group of the Coal Health Claims Monitoring Group in November to discuss the operation of the scheme in Wales.

Special Advisers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many special advisers he has working for him.

Paul Murphy: I have two special advisers.

Special Advisers

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the number and cost of special advisers in the Wales Office.

Paul Murphy: They are paid in accordance with the Cabinet Office pay scales for special advisers: these are currently under review.

Rural Economy

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to discuss regeneration of the rural economy with National Assembly for Wales Secretaries.

Paul Murphy: I meet the Welsh Assembly secretaries regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the Welsh rural economy.

Welsh Language

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what instructions are given to his offices in Wales on whether to answer the telephone in Welsh or English.

Paul Murphy: My Cardiff office is served by the National Assembly for Wales switchboard, which answers with a bilingual greeting.

Dairy Farming

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Agriculture Secretary to discuss dairy farming in Wales.

Paul Murphy: My hon. Friend the Under- Secretary has regular meetings with the Assembly Agriculture Secretary and discusses many aspects of Welsh agriculture.
	The recent FMD outbreak has exacerbated an already difficult situation for Welsh farmers. I therefore welcome the Assembly's strategy "Farming for the Future", which sets out a vision for the industry to achieve future sustainability, supported by the Assembly and key stakeholders. I would encourage farmers to work with the Assembly and its partners to face up to the changes necessary to create a viable agricultural future for Wales.

EU Structural Funds

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly about the progress of the Objective 1 programme in Wales.

Paul Murphy: I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues, including progress with the Objective 1 programme. At 9 January 2002, 421 Objective 1 projects had been approved, worth a total of £280 million in European grants. £64.3 million worth of Objective 1 grant has already been paid out by the Assembly.

Proportional Representation

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the operation of the proportional representation system in National Assembly for Wales elections.

Paul Murphy: The electoral system is that outlined in the White Paper "A Voice for Wales" which was subsequently endorsed by the people of Wales in a referendum. The electoral system is a matter reserved to Parliament under the devolution settlement and the Government have no plans to bring forward legislation to change it.

Crime

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the measures taken by the Government to tackle crime in Wales.

Paul Murphy: Communities in Wales are gaining the full benefits of our partnership approach to fighting crime. With funding running into millions of pounds, local partnerships are implementing projects targeted at crime hotspots, domestic violence and drug related crime. Much of this funding is being channelled specifically into the most deprived communities and is going a long way towards building safer and more inclusive communities.

Regional Selective Assistance

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales about the operation of regional selective assistance in Wales.

Paul Murphy: I meet the First Minister regularly to discuss a range of issues. Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is the most important grant available to businesses in Wales looking to invest to grow. 240 companies received RSA grants between January and December 2001, to the value of £130.5 million in grant funding and £553 million in total investment. This funding will result in the creation of 8,700 jobs and the safeguarding of another 4,700 jobs.

New Deal

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the operation of the new deal in Wales.

Paul Murphy: The new deal has been a huge success story in Wales. There has been a 75 per cent. fall in the number of young people aged 18–24 claiming JSA in Wales since launch of new deal and a 50 per cent. fall in the number of long term JSA claimants over 25.

Economy

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales and Cabinet colleagues about the performance of the Welsh economy.

Paul Murphy: I meet the First Minister and Cabinet colleagues regularly to discuss a range of issues, including the Welsh economy. I very much welcome last week's labour market statistics which show that unemployment in Wales fell by 7,000 over the last quarter.

Heroin Addiction

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the latest figures for heroin addiction in Wales.

Paul Murphy: There is currently no statutory requirement in the UK to report drug users to any central database; therefore there are no comprehensive data for heroin addiction in Wales.
	There is a report from the Welsh Drug Misuse Database (WDMD) for the years 1999 and 2000, which offered an analysis of reports from reporting agencies to the WDMD relating to problem drug users who presented for help and treatment during 1999 and 2000. The increase shown in heroin as a main drug in treatment cases does not necessarily indicate a rise in the number of people dependent on the drug.
	In May 2000, an 8-year strategy was published by the National Assembly entitled: "Tackling Substance Misuse in Wales: A Partnership Approach". The strategy covers not only illegal drugs but also alcohol, over-the-counter and prescription drugs and volatile substances. The four aims of the strategy embrace those of the UK strategy Tackling Drugs to build a better Britain.
	The National Assembly made £2 million available through the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Fund (DATF) in 2001–02 to support drug and alcohol treatment services in Wales and to improve access to treatment, particularly for vulnerable young people. The fund is administered through Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) and has supported many treatment services including those who provide services to people with a heroin dependency. This fund is in addition to expenditure from key agencies including health, the police and probation.

Electoral System

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will bring forward proposals to change the system for election of Members of the National Assembly for Wales.

Paul Murphy: I have no plans to do so.

Rail Services

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions regarding rail services in Wales since October 2001.

Paul Murphy: I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, which include rail services.
	I welcome the SRA's 10-year strategic plan, a forward looking plan which will deliver good results for rail passengers and freight users across Wales.
	The Assembly have developed a good working relationship with the SRA and the Wales and Borders Single Franchise is being taken forward as a priority in the strategic plan. This provides a real opportunity to increase the quality and frequency of services and the new franchise is expected to be operational next year.

Correspondence

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters he received from hon. Members during July 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the reply in the Library of the House.

Countryside

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet representatives of the farming community to discuss the crisis in the countryside.

Paul Murphy: I am planning to meet representatives of the National Farmers Union shortly. During last year both my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary and myself travelled extensively through Wales and met members of the farming community.
	I welcome the recent announcement by the National Assembly for Wales that they have spent almost £28 million to the end of December to help the rural economy recover from the effects of foot and mouth disease. In Wales, this is in addition to over £51 million paid out as compensation for culled animals and over £60 million paid out under the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme.

Alcoholism

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales and others on the mechanisms for co-ordinating policy for reducing alcoholism in Wales.

Don Touhig: I have not recently discussed with Assembly colleagues the issue of alcoholism in Wales.
	However I am aware that the Assembly is tackling the problem of substance misuse, including alcohol abuse, through its 8-year substance misuse strategy "Tackling Substance Misuse in Wales: A Partnership Approach".

Incineration Plant (Wrexham)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will hold discussions with the First Minister and the Environment Secretary on the cross border impact of the proposals for an incineration plant at Wrexham.

Paul Murphy: I understand that the National Assembly has received a number of requests to call-in this planning application. It is for the Assembly to decide how to proceed. I will however draw the hon. Member's concerns to the attention of Assembly Ministers.

Health Service

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister regarding the state of the national health service in Wales.

Don Touhig: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet regularly with the National Assembly First Minister and the Assembly Health and Social Services Minister to discuss a range of issues, including the NHS in Wales.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Railtrack

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his policy to limit funding for investment by Railtrack and its successors to the total in the regulatory settlement for Control Period 2.

John Spellar: The funding available to Railtrack and its successor is the regulatory settlement for Control Period 2, as supplemented by the agreement between Railtrack and the Department in April 2001. If bidders for Railtrack consider that this is insufficient, they will need to include proposals for additional funding in their bids.

Railtrack

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what minimum notice Railtrack gives to train operating companies for planned maintenance work.

David Jamieson: Current timetabling arrangements require Railtrack to have notified the train operators of intended works 26 weeks before taking possession of the network.

Railtrack

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his policy for a not-for-profit company to replace Railtrack plc.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Hendrick) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, columns 195–97W.

Rail Safety

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many rail track failures have been recorded by Railtrack in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: I understand from Railtrack that the number of broken rails in each of the last five financial years were:
	
		
			  Number of broken rails 
		
		
			 1996–97 709 
			 1997–98 755 
			 1998–99 952 
			 1999–2000 918 
			 2000–01 697

Road Deaths

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many deaths there were in motor accidents during the period of the annual Christmas anti-drink campaign in each of the last five available years in which a contributory factor was (a) consumption of alcohol, (b) consumption of non- prescription drugs and (c) tiredness of the driver.

John Spellar: Information is not available for the periods requested. National estimates of drink drive fatalities are only made based on the involvement of a driver who had consumed over the legal limit of alcohol. These estimates are not produced for time periods of less than one calendar month. No estimates are made of road deaths involving the use of non-prescription drugs or tiredness of a driver.

London Underground

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many staff came in (a) one hour and (b) two hours late on each London Underground line and in total in (i) the last five years and (ii) each of the last 12 months; and what were the reasons given for the absence.

John Spellar: This is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd., who have advised that the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

London Underground

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the drop out rates of persons applying for management positions on the London Underground (a) within one month, (b) one to two months and (c) two to six months after the application was received, within the last 12 months.

John Spellar: This is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd., who have advised that within the last 12 months the number of applicants for management positions who withdrew applications, did not attend interviews or refused job offers is as follows:
	(a) within one month of receipt of application—20 applicants
	(b) one to two months afterwards—75 applicants
	(c) two to six months afterwards—37 applicants.

London Underground

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how long it took on average to recruit new management staff for London Underground from (a) previous internal positions and (b) external positions in the last 12 months.

John Spellar: This is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd., who have advised that in the last 12 months it took, on average, 8.8 weeks to recruit management staff from previous internal positions, and 10.6 weeks from previous external positions.

London Underground

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the meetings he has had in the last 10 months with London Underground.

John Spellar: My right hon. Friend and ministerial colleagues meet London Underground representatives on both a regular and ad hoc basis, to discuss a variety of relevant matters.

Air Traffic Control Centre, Prestwick

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the National Air Traffic Service Prestwick Centre will be completed.

John Spellar: holding answer 16 January 2002
	The events of 11 September 2001 have led to a review of the phasing of the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) capital investment plan, which includes the New Scottish Centre (NSC). Work on the NSC building has been suspended, but continues on evaluating systems solutions.
	My officials continue to be in close discussion with NATS, who are keeping the position under review. NATS will commission further work at NSC as soon as traffic forecasts make it prudent to do so.

Oil Tankers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy to refuse access to UK waters of single hull oil tankers; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The rights of innocent or transit passage, as provided in the United Nations convention on the law of the sea, benefit UK ships in foreign territorial waters and prevent the UK from refusing access through UK territorial waters to single hull oil tankers. However, it was recently agreed that after 2007 the oldest (unprotected) type of single hull tankers will not be allowed to operate anywhere; and the UK will not permit newer single hull tankers, fitted with partial protection, to enter its ports after 2015, exercising a new right which that agreement has given.

Correspondence

Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to respond to the concerns raised by the Cally Rail Group in letters of 4 October 2001 to himself, and of 24 October and 17 December 2001 to his Department, in connection with the carrying out of Channel Tunnel Rail Link work on and around Caledonian Road, London N1.

Stephen Byers: My Department wrote to the Cally Rail Group on 17 October and 5 December 2001 and has subsequently provided a holding reply to their letter of 17 December. A further substantive reply has now been sent offering a meeting with representatives of the group.

Strategic Rail Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether his Department's statements and the SRA plan have taken into account the delays in establishing the first special purpose vehicles in estimating completion dates for infrastructure investments.

John Spellar: To avoid possible delays the Strategic Rail Authority has set aside funds within its strategic plan to help reduce commercial risk in projects before competitions to build them are held.

Strategic Rail Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which new recommendations from multi-modal studies have been included in the SRA plan.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority is working with my Department on the processes by which the study outcomes will be taken forward in the short, medium and long terms. The authority is currently undertaking further work on the access to hastings study.

Strategic Rail Authority

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what impact the Strategic Rail Authority's new strategic plan will have on plans for the proposed Worcester Parkway station at Norton; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority's strategic plan makes it clear that £430 million will be available over the next 10 years for the Rail Passenger Partnership Scheme which is designed to provide partnership funding for local schemes which support local and integrated transport objectives. The scheme was recently relaunched by the authority and the bidding criteria were not affected or altered by the strategic plan.

Strategic Rail Authority

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what mechanism the £7.5 billion public sector funding will be used to lever in the new commitments that will deliver the (a) short and (b) medium term priorities set out in the SRA strategic plan.

David Jamieson: The private sector investment will be levered in through the franchising process, Special Purpose Vehicles and specific funding schemes such as the Rail Passenger Partnership fund.

Central Trains

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason a two-year extension to the Central Trains franchise is expected to achieve an early increase in capacity.

John Spellar: An extension to the existing Central Trains franchise will provide an opportunity to secure early new investment in, for example, new rolling stock and additional services.

Rail Network

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the (a) capacity and (b) levels of usage of the rail network to carry individual services.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority has carried out numerous studies to gauge rail use and travel patterns in order to help determine priorities for investment. It has also carried out specific capacity studies to determine where enhancement is required. The priorities for investment have been identified in the authority's strategic plan.

Rail Network

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the changes to subsidy resulting from the implementation of cost plus agreements on the railways.

John Spellar: Under 'cost plus' agreements, the franchisee does not commit to a subsidy/premium profile for several years at a time. Instead, the franchisee is paid an agreed margin on the costs it is expected to incur in running the franchise in the coming year.
	Prolonging these arrangements has led to a number of problems and the Strategic Rail Authority intends, as soon as possible, to replace those franchises on 'cost plus' terms with longer-term franchise contracts negotiated through competitive processes.

Freight Facilities

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether additional funds are being made available to the relaunched Freight Facilities Grant scheme.

John Spellar: The Freight Facilities Grant scheme now covers coastal and short sea shipping. Additional funding is accordingly being sought under SR2002.

Fuel Taxes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the impact of fuel taxes on road and rail passenger usage.

John Spellar: The Department's latest assessment of the impact of changes in the cost of fuel, including taxes, on road use is given in Annex C of "Modelling using the National Road Traffic Forecasting framework for 'Tackling Congestion and Pollution' and 'Transport 2010: The 10-Year Plan'—Technical Report".
	In this assessment, the long run elasticity of car use with respect to fuel cost per car kilometre is 0.23. This means, for example, that an increase (decrease) in fuel cost per car kilometre of 10 per cent. would lead to a 2.3 per cent. decrease (increase) in car kilometres.
	As announced in the 10-Year Plan, the Department is developing its multi-modal modelling capability. This will enable estimates to be made of the impact on rail passenger usage of changes to fuel taxation.

Rail-Air Links

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if it is his policy that rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports will not receive public funding for completion before 2010.
	(2)  if it is his policy that Airtrack will not receive public funding for completion before 2010.

David Jamieson: No. The SRA's strategic plan makes it clear that a number of major schemes, including Airtrack and direct rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, are being explored further in terms of feasibility and value for money. If increased funding becomes available, particularly through partnerships with other parts of the public sector, it may be possible to make earlier progress on some of them than intimated in the current strategic plan.

East London Line

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  how much of the proposed East London line will be complete by 2006;
	(2)  whether he expects the East London line to be extended to Wimbledon by 2006.

John Spellar: By 2006 the SRA expect to have completed and commissioned the new East London line infrastructure from New Cross Gate and Old Kent Road junction in the south to Dalston junction in the north. The new rolling stock is also expected to have been delivered by that date. The planned service to Wimbledon will be possible once the relevant South Central works by GoVia, and, if powers are granted, the relevant Thameslink 2000 works, have been completed.

South West Trains

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  when work on extending South West Trains suburban platforms will be completed;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the timeframe for (a) establishing a special purpose vehicle and (b) completing work on the planned extension of South West Trains suburban platforms.

David Jamieson: The establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle and the timing of works on platform extensions are both the subject of negotiations between the Strategic Rail Authority, Stagecoach and Railtrack. The SRA are keen to progress the project, which will allow the operation of longer trains to help reduce overcrowding, as soon as possible.

Tyne and Wear Metro

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the common usage by light and heavy rail services of the Tyne and Wear metro route.

John Spellar: In December 1999 the Deputy Prime Minister, then Secretary of State for Transport, announced approval of funding for the extension of the Tyne and Wear metro system to Sunderland. The new line is due to open in March. In addition to building new tracks from the centre of Sunderland to South Hylton, this scheme has made use of excess capacity on existing heavy rail Railtrack lines. The promoters have worked closely with the HSE to ensure that the scheme complies with all the necessary safety requirements to enable common usage of heavy rail infrastructure.

London Rail Termini

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the impact on capacity at London rail termini of the presence of more than one train operator.

David Jamieson: The Strategic Rail Authority has identified opportunities for improvement in capacity at key London termini by bringing services under single operator control where possible.

Waterloo

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether it is his policy to retain a single train operator at Waterloo.

John Spellar: Eurostar, Wales and Borders and South West Trains currently operate from London Waterloo. The Strategic Rail Authority has stated that it proposes to simplify the train operator franchise structure by bringing services at key London termini under single control wherever possible.

Thameslink 2000

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what date a special purpose vehicle will be established in respect of the financing of Thameslink 2000.

David Jamieson: The SRA is currently investigating options for the funding of the Thameslink 2000 project, if powers are granted. These options include the possibility of establishing a special purpose vehicle. It is not possible at this stage to predict when an SPV would be in place.

Cotswold Line

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of impact on investment plans for the Cotswold line between Worcester and Oxford of a two-year extension of the Thames Trains franchise; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: A two-year extension of the current Thames Trains franchise is one of the options which the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is currently considering. Proposals for further investment in the Cotswold line and others included in the franchise are matters to be considered by the SRA in deciding whether to agree an extension.

Rail Freight

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial incentives are available to companies wishing to move freight from road to rail.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority operates two grant schemes to help companies switch traffic from road to rail. The Freight Facilities Grant helps companies with the capital cost of providing rail facilities and the Track Access Grant helps rail freight operators to meet the charges paid to Railtrack for access to the network, which in turn allows operators to offer a more competitive price to companies.

Rail Freight

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the quantities were of freight carried on Britain's rail network in each of the last four years.

John Spellar: Freight moved is measured in net tonne kilometres (NTKMs). This takes into account the net weight of the goods carried (excluding the weight of the locomotive and wagons) and the distance carried. The total amount carried in each of the last four years is shown in the table:
	
		Billion NTKMs 
		
			  Freight moved 
		
		
			 1997–98 16.9 
			 1998–99 17.3 
			 1999–2000 18.2 
			 2000–01 18.1 
		
	
	Growth in 2000–01 was not achieved because of the Hatfield derailment and subsequent network-wide problems.

Trans-Pennine Franchise

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if, in advertising the Trans-Pennine franchise, the Strategic Rail Authority will ensure that the service continues to stop at Stalybridge station.

John Spellar: There is currently an hourly Trans- Pennine service for Stalybridge station that is protected by the Passenger Service Requirement (PSR). Bidders for the new Trans-Pennine Express franchise have been instructed by the Strategic Rail Authority that services protected by the PSR must be maintained.

Metropolitan Line

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many delays were caused by signal failures on the Metropolitan line in each of the last five years.

John Spellar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson), to the hon. Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison) on 18 July 2001, Official Report, column 197W. London Underground advise me that it is not possible to separate the data for signals and points.

Postal Voting

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many votes were cast by post in the (a) 1997 and (b) 2001 general elections, broken down by constituency as (i) a percentage of total votes cast and (ii) a percentage of the electorate.

Alan Whitehead: Figures of the number of votes cast by post, the total votes cast and the total electorate for the 1997 general election were published, by constituency, in Table 4 of "Election Expenses" (House of Commons Paper 260) in February 1999. Publication of the corresponding data for the 2001 general election was the responsibility of the Electoral Commission and is contained in the report entitled "Postal Votes, Proxy Votes and Spoilt Ballot Papers at the 2001 General Election" published on 17 January. Copies of both publications are in the Libraries of the House.

Thames Trains

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many and what percentage of trains operated by Thames Trains departed late from West Drayton station in each month of (a) 2000 and (b) 2001.

John Spellar: The Strategic Rail Authority do not keep performance figures disaggregated to station level. However, the following table shows a summary, by four weekly reporting period of the number of Thames Trains arriving at their destinations punctually:
	
		
			  Industry period Percentage of Thames Trains arriving at destination punctually and reliably 
		
		
			  Period beginning 2 January 2000 
			 0010 87.4 
			 0011 92.4 
			 0012 92.1 
			 0013 92.8 
			 April 2000  
			 0101 91.0 
			 0102 90.8 
			 0103 86.1 
			 0104 87.2 
			 0105 90.9 
			 0106 88.7 
			 0107 85.8 
			 0108 65.9 
			 0109 62.8 
			 0110 76.1 
			 0111 83.8 
			 0112 84.5 
			 0113 81.4 
			 April 2001  
			 0201 82.8 
			 0202 82.8 
			 0203 81.6 
			 0204 73.8 
			 0205 79.1 
			 0206 78.8 
			 0207 78.5 
			 0208 76.7 
			 0209 73.5 
			 Period ending 5 January 2002  
			 0210 81.2

Speed Cameras (Uxbridge)

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many speed cameras are operating within the Uxbridge constituency.

John Spellar: This information is not held centrally.

Nuclear Transportation

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Baillieston (Mr. Wray), on 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 601W, on nuclear transportation, if he will list (a) the dates and (b) the reasons for the last five occasions on which the International Atomic Energy Agency radioactive materials transport standards have been revised as a result of reviews.

John Spellar: The IAEA's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, originally published in 1961, are kept under continuous review and revised from time-to-time, as necessary, to ensure they remain effective in the light of up-to-date radiological protection standards, technological advances and operational experience. Revisions have been made in response to proposals for change and problems identified by experts from member states and concerned international transport organisations, most recently as follows:
	
		
			 Year of publication/Title Main reason(s) for revision 
		
		
			 2000  
			 Regulation for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1996 Edition (Revised), Safety Standards Series No. TS-R-1 (ST-1, Revised) Minor editorial amendments to 1996 Ed. Pressure test requirements aligned with International Standards 
			 1996  
			 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1996 Major revision incorporating: 
			 Edition, Safety Standards Series No. ST-1 additional air transport requirements (Type 'C' package); 
			  additional requirements for uranium hexafluoride; 
			  enhanced immersion test requirements; 
			  updated activity limits; 
			  modified, radionuclide-specific exemption values. 
			 1990  
			 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (As Amended 1990). Safety Series No. 6 Consolidation into a single volume of the original 1985 Edition, the two previous supplement documents and inclusion of further minor changes and changes of detail. 
			 1988  
			 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 1985 Edition Supplement 1988, Safety Series No. 6—Supplementary 1988 Further amendments arising from a request to member states to identify problems applying the Regulations and proposals for change. Also incorporates amended texts to the supporting documents to the Regulations. 
			 1986  
			 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 1985 Edition Supplement 1986, Safety Series No. 6—Supplementary 1986 Corrects minor errors and introduces changes of detail, unanimously agreed by the member states by direct replacement pages to the original text. 
			 1985  
			 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 1985 Edition, Safety Series No. 6 Fully revised edition carried out by expert panels beginning in 1979 and approved by the Board of Governors in 1984. 
			  International System (SI) of units introduced as primary units. 
			  Implements the new system of dose limitation of the 1982 Edition of the IAEA's Basic Safety Standards.

Train Company Competition

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what means he intends to promote competition between train companies following the introduction of longer franchises and a single franchise serving each London terminus.

David Jamieson: The main competition for rail operators is from road and other modes of transport, and this competitive pressure would not be reduced by the introduction of larger franchises or a policy of single franchises serving each London terminus. The aim would be to produce a more reliable, cohesive and attractive service for passengers.

Railways

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what additional capacity is (a) planned and (b) under consideration for the railway lines between (i) London and Portsmouth, (ii) London, Southampton and Lymington and (iii) Bristol and Brighton, and for Island Line; when he expects each improvement to be complete; what the cost will be; and how much of the cost will be met from public funds;
	(2)  what improvement is (a) planned and (b) under consideration for major stations on the railway lines between (i) London and Portsmouth, (ii) London, Southampton and Lymington and (iii) Bristol and Brighton, and for stations on Island Line; when he expects each improvement to be complete; what the cost will be; and how much of the cost will be met from public funds.

John Spellar: Capacity on the Portsmouth and Southampton routes will be increased in stages over the early years of the replacement South West Trains franchise through rolling stock investment. It is proposed that capacity be increased to facilitate a half-hourly service on the Bristol to Portsmouth route. Longer term increases in capacity will depend on infrastructure investment to permit longer trains to operate. These projects, and their financial arrangements, are subject to the outcome of commercial negotiations for the new South West Trains and Wessex franchises. The Strategic Rail Authority are developing a franchise proposition for the replacement of the Island Line franchise, in consultation with the Island council. Further announcements will be made by the authority in due course.

Railways

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions under the 10 year plan for rail, how much public money will be available in each of the next 10 years to support (a) infrastructure investment and (b) subsidies for operating costs to (i) the Railtrack successor body and (ii) the train operating companies.

David Jamieson: The £33.5 billion of government support to the rail industry over the next 10 years, is projected to be profiled as in the table. A breakdown is provided between government capital investment and resource (revenue) expenditure.
	The level of future Government subsidy provided through existing franchise contracts is detailed in the 2001 SRA annual report. No other breakdown can be provided for individual companies over each of the next 10 years.
	
		
			 £ billion(2) Resource Capital Total 
		
		
			 2001–02 1.6 0.6 2.2 
			 2002–03 1.4 1.5 2.8 
			 2003–04 1.4 2.5 4.0 
			 2004–05 1.5 2.4 3.9 
			 2005–06 1.5 2.9 4.4 
			 2006–07 1.5 2.7 4.2 
			 2007–08 1.5 2.2 3.6 
			 2008–09 1.6 1.3 2.9 
			 2009–10 1.5 1.2 2.7 
			 2010–11 1.5 1.2 2.7 
			  
			 Total 14.9 18.6 33.5 
		
	
	(2) Rounded

Rail Services (Disabled Access)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of (a) rail stations and (b) rolling stock are accessible for those who are mobility impaired; and what plans there are to increase the percentage.

Sally Keeble: This information is not currently held centrally. The answers will also depend on the definition of "mobility impairment" which is used—some stations and rolling stock may not be wheelchair accessible but can be accessed by other mobility impaired people. The Strategic Rail Authority will announce shortly a requirement for train operators to prepare new disabled people's protection policies. When available, these will allow national information to be provided.

Rail Infrastructure Investment

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the level of investment in infrastructure has been in each year since 1997 on main railway lines in the UK.

David Jamieson: holding answer 18 January 2002
	Information on rail infrastructure investment is available from Railtrack's annual report and accounts for each of the relevant years. These figures are not publicly available by individual route.

Driving Test Examiners (West Yorkshire)

Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many driving test examiners were employed in each test centre in West Yorkshire in (a) January 2002, (b) July 2001 and (c) January 2001; and how many in each category were (i) full-time and (ii) part-time.

John Spellar: The following number of driving examiners were based at test centres in West Yorkshire:
	
		
			   January 2002  July 2001  January 2001  
			   Permanent Other(3) Permanent Other(3) Permanent Other(3) 
		
		
			 Car   
			 Bradford (Eccleshill) 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Bradford (Heaton) 3 2 3 2 3 2 
			 Halifax 3 1 3 1 4 0 
			 Heckmondwike 2 1 2 2 2 1 
			 Huddersfield 4 2 4 2 4 2 
			 Keighley 3 0 3 0 3 0 
			 Leeds (Horsforth) 4 2 4 2 4 2 
			 Leeds (Harehills) 8 1 8 1 8 1 
			 Wakefield 3 1 3 1 3 1 
			  
			 Total 32 12 32 13 33 11 
			
			 Motorcycle   
			 Bradford (Eccleshill) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Halifax 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leeds (Horsforth) 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			  
			 Total 1 1 1 1 1 1 
		
	
	(3) Other = driving examiners not employed on a permanent, full-time basis: contract examiners (with work guaranteed for a minimum of 10 days per month) or fee-paid examiners (paid on a test-by-test basis to cover for short notice absence of permanent staff).
	In addition, other driving examiners were on occasions detached to test centres to cover for annual leave, sickness, and other duties, and to reduce waiting times:
	
		
			January 2002  July 2001  January 2001  
			  Permanent Other Permanent Other Permanent Other 
		
		
			 Car   
			 Bradford (Eccleshill) 14 4 14 4 15 3 
			 Bradford (Heaton) 10 4 10 5 11 3 
			 Halifax 10 8 10 9 10 7 
			 Heckmondwike 12 7 12 6 13 6 
			 Huddersfield 10 2 10 3 11 1 
			 Keighley 4 1 4 1 5 0 
			 Leeds (Horsforth) 14 2 14 2 16 2 
			 Leeds (Harehills) 8 7 8 7 9 6 
			 Wakefield 15 4 15 4 13 4 
			  
			 Total 97 39 97 41 103 32 
			
			 Motorcycle   
			 Bradford (Eccleshill) 2 0 2 0 2 0 
			 Halifax 3 0 3 0 3 0 
			 Leeds (Horsforth) 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Total 5 0 5 0 5 0

Housing

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures his Department is taking to improve the quality of housing in areas of deprivation.

Sally Keeble: In July 2000 the Government set a target to bring all social housing up to set standards of decency by 2010, tackling one-third of the problem by March 2004 with most of the improvement taking place in deprived local authority areas.
	"The Way Forward for Housing", the Government's housing policy statement, set out a range of measures many of which would contribute towards achieving this target, including:
	a significant increase in investment—an additional £1.8 billion was provided in the last spending review on top of increases announced in 1998 and 2000—much of which will benefit deprived areas;
	a range of investment options for local authority housing including transfer of homes to registered social landlords and arms-length management arrangements; and
	the introduction of local housing strategies.
	A copy of the policy statement is in the Library.

Congestion

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when targets for congestion will be agreed as part of the 10-year transport plan.

Sally Keeble: "Transport 2010: The 10-Year Plan", published in July 2000, contained a target
	"to reduce road congestion on the inter-urban network and in large urban areas in England below current levels by 2010 by promoting integrated transport solutions and investing in public transport and the road network".

Fire Service SSA

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to reform the standard spending assessment allocation for fire services taking into account fire prevention work; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: In partnership with the Local Government Association and other local authority organisations we are reviewing the local government finance grant distribution formula. We have already made the commitment that, when the new formula is introduced for the 2003–04 Local Government Finance Settlement, the perverse incentive of the fire calls indicator (whereby fire authorities are effectively penalised for reducing the number of calls) will be removed. Other options that are being considered include increasing the share that is allocated for fire safety education.

Fishing (Light Dues)

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will calculate the amount paid in light dues by British registered fishing vessels in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what proposals he has to exempt British registered fishing vessels from the payment of light dues.

David Jamieson: The amount of light dues invoiced to UK registered fishing vessels for the financial year 2001–02 (April to March) is £672,326. We have no current plans to exempt fishing vessels from the payment of light dues, but we intend to consult all users of the general lighthouse authorities' aids to navigation on the charging structure.

Fishing (Light Dues)

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those European Union member nations which levy light dues on their domestically registered fishing vessels; and what assessment he has made of the effect of light dues on the competitiveness of British registered vessels in comparison with vessels from fishing fleets of other European Union member nations.

David Jamieson: The lighthouse authorities in the UK and Ireland are funded through the general lighthouse fund, which is administered by DTLR. The Irish Government make a contribution to the fund towards the costs of provision of aids to navigation in the Irish Republic, and do not require fishing vessels in the Irish Republic to pay light dues. We do not have information on arrangements for covering the costs of provision of aids to navigation in other member states.

Road Maintenance Survey

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reasons the present form of the annual road maintenance survey is to be discontinued; how the replacement statistical series will differ; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The National Road Maintenance Condition Survey (NRMCS) reports on the condition of roads, footways, kerbs and verges in England and Wales. It was introduced in 1977 as a visual survey of defects and subsequently extended to include surveys of structural condition and skidding resistance. Recent technical advances and organisational changes affecting the management of the national and local road networks have provided the opportunity to collect the information more efficiently.
	In future, the data for statistics of road maintenance conditions will be those which each authority now collects in order to manage its own network and to produce best value performance indicators. This has a number of advantages. Firstly, there will be cost savings to authorities as they will no longer be asked to collect separate data for NRMCS. This should also give rise to increased response rates. Secondly, the new methods of data collection use latest technology to monitor the whole of the road network, as opposed to a sample of 100 m road lengths as in the old NRMCS. As a result, we will be able to publish meaningful comparisons at authority and regional level for the first time which will also serve to improve the accuracy of the national results.
	The new survey will be more comprehensive than the old NRMCS. Coverage will include motorways (excluded from the old visual survey), and roads with a concrete running surface will come within the survey for the first time. In addition the condition of cycleways will be recorded.
	The new information will also enable the monitoring of two objectives in the 10-Year Plan for Transport—halting local road deterioration by 2004 and eliminating the backlogs in their maintenance by 2010–11. The new survey will continue to provide information on the condition of roads but should also enable the calculation of more precise estimates of the amount of outstanding maintenance than those currently derived from the visual survey.
	These new arrangements are being phased in over three years. Each part of the new survey will run in parallel with the corresponding part of the old survey for a period of one year to ensure consistency over time.

Ministerial Meetings (Scottish Parliament)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he last met the Scottish Minister for Transport; and what issues were discussed.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State met Wendy Alexander, the Scottish Minister for Transport, on Wednesday 16 January. A number of issues were discussed including the SRA Strategic Plan, the ScotRail franchise, and the recent industrial action on the Scottish railways.

Wind Power

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is relating to guidance to district councils concerning the grant of planning consent for siting smaller wind turbines (a) singularly and in pairs, (b) in the support of farmers seeking to diversify through earning revenue through wind power generation and (c) to local communities for local power generation for the benefit of the community.

Sally Keeble: Guidance on planning policy for renewable energy is set out in PPG 22. This provides local planning authorities with guidance on a range of issues that affect the siting of renewable energy projects, including the siting of one or two wind turbines.

English Partnerships

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what consultations are taking place over the future of English Partnerships.

Sally Keeble: As part of stage one of the current review of English Partnerships, a range of EP's partners and stakeholders, including the regional development agencies, have been consulted. Consultations have also taken place with groups of staff from English Partnerships and with the management of the organisation.
	A dedicated e-mail address has also been set up to encourage comments from anyone interested in the review.

Rail Delays

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the total weekly rail delays, in minutes, for each week from 1 May 1997 to 21 January 2002, broken down to show delays (a) attributable to Railtrack and (b) attributable to train operating companies; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Expenditure Review

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish the timetable for the review of local government expenditure.

Alan Whitehead: We will implement reform of the local government grant distribution system in time for setting out the provisional 2003–04.

Rail Industry (EU Guidelines)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he has given to the Strategic Rail Authority on the implications of the European Council's Broad Guidelines of the Economic Policies of the Member States and the Community on the future structure of the rail industry.

Stephen Byers: The Government's policies, including those of the Strategic Rail Authority, are consistent with these Broad Guidelines.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Solicitor-General what equipment has been stolen from her Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was.

Harriet Harman: I am not aware of any departmental equipment being stolen from the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers since 1 May 1997.
	The details of other Departments for which the Attorney-General is responsible are as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			 Year Equipment Valued at 
		
		
			  Crown Prosecution Service 
			 1997–98 — — 
			 1998–99 1 computer 2,000.00 
			  1 laptop computer 800.00 
			 1999–2000 2 computers 4,000.00 
			  1 laptop computer 2,842.00 
			  1 computer and printer 2,700.00 
			 2000–01 1 mobile telephone 170.00 
			 2001–02 1 mobile telephone 150.00 
			
			  Treasury Solicitor's Department 
			 1997 1 date stamp and pad 2.07 
			  1 calculator 5.50 
			  Computer memory chips 1,144.36 
			 1998 1 mobile telephone 95.00 
			  3 dictaphone machines 196.00 
			 1999 — — 
			 2000 — — 
			 2001 1 mobile telephone 174.00 
			  1 laptop computer 850.00 
			
			  Serious Fraud Office 
			 1997 — — 
			 1998 — — 
			 1999 — — 
			 2000 1 mobile telephone 65.00 
			 2001 2 mobile telephones 130.00 
			  1 laptop computer 1,600.00

Saville Inquiry

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Solicitor-General what costs have been incurred by her Department in connection with the Saville inquiry; and what her estimate is of the final cost to her Department.

Harriet Harman: The Departments for which the Attorney-General answers in Parliament are the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department, as well as his own Department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers.
	The Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office have not incurred any costs in connection with the Bloody Sunday inquiry and do not expect to do so.
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department carries out legal work for other Departments, such as the Ministry of Defence, on a full cost recovery basis. While substantial work has been done by the Treasury Solicitor's Department in relation to the inquiry, in so far as that work is directly connected with the inquiry, the cost will be recovered or has been recovered from the client Department or Departments represented. The Treasury Solicitor's Department has provided representation before the inquiry for two ex-members of staff. The cost of this representation, which has been borne by the Department, is approximately £15,500.
	The Attorney-General and lawyers in both the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers will, in the normal course of their duties, have been called upon to give advice on certain matters arising as a result of the Bloody Sunday inquiry. In so far as these costs can be assessed, an approximate figure would be £70,500. No assessment can be made of what the final cost may be as it will depend on whether further advice or assistance is sought or becomes necessary.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Wind Power Generators

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the EU grant aid has been issued to farmers in Objective 1 areas for siting small scale wind power generators; and what steps her Department is taking to ease access to these funds.

Alan Johnson: No EU grant aid from the structural funds has been issued to farmers for siting small scale wind power generators in Objective 1 areas.
	The Department's website has information on the structural funds and potential sources of match funding. The website of each Government office in the regions gives details of the programmes for the region. These sites also contain advice on how applications can be made.

Consumer Protection

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review consumer protection laws in relation to internet purchasing of goods and services.

Melanie Johnson: Existing consumer protection laws, such as the Distance Selling Regulations and the Sale of Goods legislation, apply equally to internet purchasing as when shopping on the high street. In November 2001 I launched a campaign with my hon. Friend the Minister for E-Commerce and Competitiveness to raise awareness of consumer rights when e-shopping and to demonstrate that internet shopping is safe as long as shoppers follow basic guidelines.
	Consumer protection laws will be reviewed to ensure, in compliance with the E-Commerce Directive, that they do not prevent contracts being concluded by electronic means. The E-Commerce Directive will also create some additional safeguards for those purchasing goods and services online.

Radioactive Waste (North-East Atlantic)

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the minimum length of time the isotopes deposited west of Land's End in the 1960s and 1970s will remain radioactive.

Michael Meacher: I have been asked to reply.
	Radioactive waste was deposited at several locations in the north-east Atlantic during the 1960s and 1970s. This waste contained many different radioactive isotopes with widely varying rates of decay. For example, plutonium-239 (Pu-239) has a half-life of around 24,000 years, whereas tritium (H-3) has a half-life of 12.3 years. In view of this, it is not possible to make a single estimate of the length of time that the material will remain radioactive. Details of the radionuclides which the material contained are included in the "Report of the Independent Review of Disposal of Radioactive Waste in the North East Atlantic" (HMSO, 1984), copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Places of Worship

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost to English Heritage of administering the VAT/grant recovery scheme for places of worship; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  for what reason the administration of the VAT/grant recovery scheme for places of worship is administered by English Heritage; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: CSL Group Ltd. are DCMS's appointed contractors for the Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant scheme. Initial estimates are that the LPW Scheme could be worth up to £30 million per year. There is no cap on the scheme; all listed places of worship that meet the criteria will receive a grant. This Department has been asked to make a small contribution to the costs of the scheme. We have asked English Heritage to help us meet this commitment, which they have chosen to do through the redirection of £2 million in grant-in-aid from the Joint Places of Worship (JPOW) scheme.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the criteria employed by the Film Council to assess the suitability of applications to each of its funds.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Film Council sets out its criteria for assessing the suitability of applications in the published application guidance for the relevant fund. Each guidance complies with the policy and financial directions issued to the Film Council under sections 26 (1), (3), (3A) and (4) of the National Lottery Etc. Act 1993 (as amended by the National Lottery Act 1998).
	In respect of its film financing funds—the development fund, the new cinema fund and the premiere fund—the eligibility and selection criteria are clearly linked back to attaining the objectives for the relevant fund. The guidance also states that applications for development or production finance will be assessed on the creative merits of the projects by the head of the relevant fund. Their creative judgment to fund a project is complemented by an assessment of financial and contractual matters all under the control of the Film Council's chief executive officer.
	In respect of the training fund the key criteria are that the application meets the various training specifications as set out and that the project meets the objectives of the fund.
	In respect of the regional investment fund for England, the Film Council is in the process of delegating decision-making on applications to new regional film agencies. These agencies will operate under a detailed framework agreement which sets out the parameters within which any decisions should be made.
	A similar framework agreement which includes parameters for creative, operational and financial criteria is in place with the council's delegate body responsible for "First Light"—a fund for film making by children and young people.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make an estimate of the value to the Film Council of (a) profit share schemes, (b) shares in copyright and (c) other property or rights received, as a result of grants made under each of the Film Council's funds since 1 April 2000.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The valuation of film rights is not made under the headings listed in the question. The valuation is made in accordance with the additional disclosure requirements of the accounts direction given by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for the Film Council's national lottery fund.
	The Film Council prepares a valuation of film rights at the end of each financial year. In respect of its lottery funds this valuation is disclosed in its report and lottery accounts. The accounts for 2000–01 were laid before Parliament on 12 December 2001. In 2000–01 the net value of film rights is reported as £12,490,930 against awards made totalling £24,864,352. A detailed breakdown is contained within schedule 1 to the accounts. The valuation for grants made since 1 April 2001 will be undertaken after the end of the financial year as part of preparation of the 2001–02 accounts.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list grants made by the Film Council since 1 April 2000 stating for each the (a) amount of the grant, (b) date of the grant, (c) purpose of the grant, (d) company, person or organisation to whom the grant was made, (e) name of the film or project for which the grant was to be used and (f) fund from which the grant was made.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 January 2002
	I am arranging for copies of the information requested by the hon. Member to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications to each fund of the Film Council since 1 April 2000 have been successful.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Between 1 April 2000 and 31 December 2001 the following applications to the Film Council have been successful:
	Lottery Film Franchises—55
	Premiere Fund—17 awards
	Development Fund—75 (including 12 successful slate applications)
	New Cinema Fund—33 (including 12 awards to run digital shorts programmes)
	Training Fund—79 (including bursary awards to 61 individuals)
	First Light—54.
	These figures exclude awards which have lapsed, been withdrawn or have not been taken up. Some projects have applied for and received separate allocations of funding against specific elements of the same project.

Film Council

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the work of the Film Council.

Kim Howells: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Film Council started work in April 2000 with the long term objective of creating a sustainable UK film industry.
	It has done this by supporting a range of film productions, and most importantly for the long term, helping the development of films and film-makers. The Film Council is developing close relationships with European colleagues; it has for the first time brought together film interests in each of the English regions; introduced programmes for young people and training for the industry; and it is working up policies on exhibition and distribution and to give practical help for exports.
	The Film Council's annual report, which will be published shortly, will give more details of their achievements.

Free Television Licence (Wealden)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Wealden receive the free television licence for people over 75 years of age.

Kim Howells: TV Licensing, which administers for the BBC as licensing authority the free television licence scheme, is not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, estimates based on the 1991 Census indicate that there were approximately 9,000 people aged 75 or over in the Wealden constituency.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Gurkhas (Commemoration)

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will introduce plans to commemorate the military assistance given by Nepal to the United Kingdom in (a) the two World Wars and (b) other significant conflicts.

Ben Bradshaw: We rightly commemorate the immense contribution that the Nepalese, through the Gurkhas, have made to the United Kingdom in the world wars and in other conflicts. The Gurkhas, as an integral part of the British Army, are commemorated at Remembrance Day. The Nepalese Ambassador is the only non- Commonwealth foreign representative to attend the commemoration. The Gurkha Statue near the Ministry of Defence Main Building, unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen in December 1997, is another permanent reminder of the contribution of the Gurkhas, and the Gurkha Gardens in Winchester is no less important a memorial.
	The Gurkhas are also commemorated in a more practical way through the work of the Gurkha Welfare Trust, an independent registered charity, which provides financial, medical and community aid to alleviate hardship and distress among Gurkha ex-servicemen of the British Army and their dependants after they have returned to their homeland of Nepal. The MOD recognises the valuable work that this trust does and makes a substantial annual grant towards its administrative costs.

Fraud

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The information is as follows:
	
		Cost of fraud in Foreign and Commonwealth Office -- £
		
			  FCO (fraud) Recovered Net loss 
		
		
			 May 1997 to March 1998 114,385 4,396 109,989 
			 April 1998 to March 1999 102,202 6,705 95,497 
			 April 1999 to March 2000 11,183 11,183 0 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 16,326 15,553 773 
			 April 2001 to December 2001 38,125 20,092 18,033 
			  Total identified fraud for period 1 May 1997 to 31 December 2001 = 282,221 
			  Total sums recovered to date = 57,929 
			  Net loss = 224,292

Stolen/lost Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Denis MacShane: The following equipment, valued at over £50.00, has been reported stolen or lost from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK in the last four years:
	
		
			   Value (£) 
		
		
			 1998   
			 27 May Video player 150 
			 3 July CD ROM player 150 
			 4 August Canon Colour printer 140 
			
			 1999   
			 6 January Socket mother board, Intel processor, hard disk, unclassified video card, internal modem card 300 
			 13 May Laptop 2,000 
			 3 September Laptop 2,000 
			 4 October Answerphone 100 
			
			 2000   
			 10 January Hard disks on 2 computer stations 400 
			 21 January Harddrives RAM and CPU processors on 2 computers 900 
			 28 March Computer components 500 
			 15 April Laptop 2,000 
			 17 April RAM and processors 300 
			 26 April RAM and processors 300 
			 4 May RAM and processors 300 
			 4 December Palm pilot computer 500 
			
			 2001   
			 28 February Computer and hardware, digital camera CDRW Drives, Firecrest PC, external CD ROM for laptop 1,200 
			 27 February Laptop Toshiba 2,000 
			 Unknown Scanner 300 
			 16 March Laptop 2,000 
			 11 April Minidisc player 200 
			 10 April Telephone 80 
			 13 March Shortwave Radio 200 
			 22 May Boxed PC inc, monitor/keyboard 1,200 
			 17 August Flat screen monitor 450 
			 29 October Laptop 2,000 
			 2002   
			 10 January 7 X 17" monitors 1,400

Afghanistan

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has sought, and what communications he has received, from the United States Administration in respect of the circumstances surrounding the uprising and battle at the prison fort outside Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan; how many prisoners were killed; if United Kingdom citizens are known to have been killed or captured; and what role British military personnel played in the action.

Ben Bradshaw: We do not have details of the numbers killed or captured, and are not aware that any UK citizens were among those killed or captured.
	My hon. Friend will understand that, for reasons of operational security, I cannot go into specific details about the involvement of British troops in this incident. However, I can tell my hon. Friend that, following an uprising by Taliban fighters being held at the fort, who overpowered their captors and seized the armoury, British troops went to the aid of their US colleagues. Under heavy fire they attempted to recover two US personnel apparently captured by the Taliban fighters.

Ministerial Visits

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the dates of foreign visits he has made since 11 September; which countries he visited; whom he met; what was discussed; what the size of his entourage was; which other Ministers accompanied him; and what the total cost was of each visit.

Jack Straw: Since 11 September I have made the following overseas visits and met the following leaders:
	12 September
	Special GAC Brussels.
	Belgium—Secretary General Solana, President Prodi, Vice-President Kinnock, Commissioner Lamy, Commissioner Patten.
	21 September
	Extraordinary European Council, Brussels.
	24–27 September
	Jordan—King Abdullah, Prime Minister al-Ragheb, Foreign Minister Khatib, President Arafat.
	Iran—President Khatemi, Foreign Minister Dr. Kharrazi.
	Israel—Prime Minister Sharon, Foreign Minister Peres.
	Egypt—President Mubarak.
	8 October
	GAC Luxembourg.
	17 October
	GAC Luxembourg.
	17–18 October
	Turkey—President Sezer, Prime Minister Ecevit, Foreign Minister Cem.
	23–25 October
	USA—Vice-President Cheney, Secretary of State General Powell, Secretary of State for Defence Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defence Wolfowitz.
	29 October
	GAC Luxembourg.
	30–31 October
	Russia—Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov.
	Poland—Prime Minister Miller, Foreign Minister Cimoszewicz.
	9–14 November
	USA—UNGA.
	19 November
	GAC Brussels.
	19–20 November
	Spain—Foreign Minister Pique.
	21–23 November
	Iran—Foreign Minister Dr. Kharrazi, Abdullah Abdullah (now Foreign Minister of the Interim Administration in Afghanistan).
	Pakistan—President Musharraf, Foreign Minister Sattar.
	Bahrain—Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Khalfia.
	6–7 December
	Belgium—NAC Meeting.
	10 December
	GAC Brussels.
	13–15 December
	Belgium—Laeken European Council.
	21–23 January
	Democratic Republic of Congo—President Kabila, Foreign Minister Ukitundu.
	Rwanda—President Kagame, Foreign Minister Bumaya.
	Burundi—President Buyoya, Vice-President Ndayizeye.
	Uganda—President Museveni, Foreign Minister Wapakhabulo.
	A range of issues was discussed during these visits, including the international coalition against terrorism, the middle east peace process, EU affairs, bilateral relations and regional issues.
	The Prime Minister attended the Extraordinary European Council in Brussels on 21 September and the Laeken European Council in Brussels, 13–15 December. The Chancellor of the Exchequer attended the Laeken European Council. The Minister for Europe attended the GACs on 29 October, 10 November and 19 November and the Laeken European Council.
	A detailed list of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas and information on expenditure by all Ministers on overseas travel for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible after the end of this financial year.

Colombia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to ensure that the Colombian Government conducts a full investigation into human rights violations in Colombian cities; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We are very concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Colombia. I had comprehensive discussions with the Colombian Government about human rights, including allegations of human rights violations in the town of Barrancabermeja, during my visit to Colombia last October. Last year, HM ambassador to Colombia and other embassy staff visited Medellin, Cali and other major cities and towns where they met and expressed support for peace activists and human rights NGOs, and raised our concerns with the Colombian authorities. We strongly support the work of the Colombian human rights ombudsman, who I met last October, who regularly publishes reports into human rights violations.

Visas

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for a visa to visit family members in the United Kingdom were refused in (a) November and (b) December 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: Provisional figures, based on monthly statistical returns from the largest 110 entry clearance posts handling 98 per cent. of all visa applications are:
	Refused November 2001: 3,846 1
	Refused December 2001: 2,164 2
	1 Figures from six posts still awaited.
	2 Figures from 29 posts still awaited.

Terrorist Attacks (Middle East)

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the number of terrorist attacks carried out by members of the Fatah from within the Palestinian Authority in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the organisations responsible for the terrorist attack on the Israeli town of Afula on 27 November 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy) on 9 January 2002, Official Report, column 919W.

World Conference Against Racism

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in negotiating and translating the final text for the Declaration and Programme of Action agreed at the UN World Conference Against Racism held in Durban from 31 August to 8 December 2001; what preparations he has made to publish and distribute English and other language versions of the final text in the UK; what preparations he has made to consult NGOs and minority ethnic organisations on the construction of a national plan of action based on these texts as required by the Durban agreement; and what his time scale is for consultation with (a) devolved Administrations and (b) dependent territories.

Peter Hain: The agreed Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) were published by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 2 January. English, French and Spanish versions are currently available on the website of the OHCHR www.ohchr.ch. The UN General Assembly Third Committee will reconvene in February to adopt the documents formally. Home Office officials will hold a preliminary consultation with NGOs and others involved in the preparations for WCAR on 4 February to discuss, inter alia, publication and further translation of the documents in the UK and the construction of a national plan of action. The devolved Administrations, who were also consulted before Durban, have been invited to the 4 February meeting. The Home Office will send copies of the documents to the dependent territories for consultation once they have been formally adopted by the UN.

Poland (EU Accession)

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role Britain is playing in helping Poland to join the EU.

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and I have regular contact with our Polish counterparts. We are heavily involved in the Commission's Twinning programme: since 1998, we have won involvement in 23 Polish projects, covering such areas as organised crime and implementation of the CAP. Our action plan with Poland covers a range of further bilateral assistance to their accession preparations. We are doing all we can to assist Poland with her accession negotiations, as we want to see Poland ready by the end of this year to join the EU.

Iraq

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has been given indicating whether the al-Qaeda network has a presence in Iraq.

Ben Bradshaw: I have seen no evidence which demonstrates that an al-Qaeda network exists in Iraq.

Iraq

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States Administration on extension of the war on terrorism to Iraq.

Ben Bradshaw: We frequently discuss all aspects of Iraq policy with our US counterparts. We are not speculating about the prospects of military action beyond Afghanistan.

Iraq

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on sanctions on Iraq; and what plans there are to end them.

Ben Bradshaw: UN controls on Iraq, imposed after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990, have successfully contained Iraq's ability to attack its neighbours, use chemical weapons against the Iraqi people and develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD)—all of which are part of its quite recent history. UN resolution 1284, a UK initiative, continues to offer Iraq the route out of these controls, if it chooses to co-operate and meet its international obligations, particularly on the disposal of its WMD. All members of the Security Council believe that rigorous controls must however remain on the Iraqi regime while it refuses to co-operate. In the meantime, the UK continues to lead the way in refining these controls to improve the flow of goods to the Iraqi people, while maintaining control on the Iraqi regime's access to WMD/military-related items.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from his Department have attended the environmental appraisal and integration into policy training course run by the Civil Service College.

Peter Hain: holding answer 21 January 2002
	No FCO officials have attended the course at the Civil Service College. We have developed our own suite of training courses covering environment, with the help of the University of Surrey Centre for Environmental Strategy. The courses provide guidance on how to integrate environment into foreign policy and FCO operations.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the last occasion was on which he requested an environmental appraisal before making a policy decision.

Peter Hain: holding answer 21 January 2002
	No such request has been made.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures his Department has to ensure environmental appraisals are undertaken prior to (a) administrative and (b) policy decisions being made.

Peter Hain: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Consultation with the relevant FCO department is required on all administrative and policy decisions with an environmental impact.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to appraise the environmental implications of its Spending Review submission to the Treasury.

Peter Hain: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The FCO will submit a Sustainable Development Report to the Treasury as part of its Spending Review submission. The environmental implications of the submission will be considered in this report.

Environmental Appraisals

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many environmental appraisals have been published by his Department since 1 January 2001; and if he will list the last four.

Peter Hain: holding answer 21 January 2002
	No such appraisals have been published.

International Terrorism

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to speak to the Indonesian authorities concerning al-Qaeda and the war on terrorism.

Jack Straw: Regular discussions with the Indonesian authorities on a range of matters, including terrorism, continue.

International Terrorism

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States Government regarding the extension of the campaign against international terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: We regularly discuss all aspects of the campaign against terrorism with the US Government. We share the concern of all responsible governments at the existence of international terrorist networks.

Ministerial Visit (Africa)

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries he will be visiting during his forthcoming visit to Africa; and if the Prime Minister will be accompanying him.

Jack Straw: I am paying a joint visit with French Foreign Minister Vedrine on 21–23 January 2002 to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. The Prime Minister will not be accompanying us.

Money Laundering (African Governments)

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent investigations he has undertaken to check that senior members of the Governments of (a) Kenya, (b) Zambia and (c) Zimbabwe and their respective families have not laundered money through (i) the City of London and (ii) Switzerland.

Peter Hain: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The UK plays a leading role in international efforts to combat money laundering and corruption. The UK co-operates with a wide range of international partners to this end.
	I am withholding further information under Exemption 4(b) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Turkey (EU Accession)

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Turkey's progress towards meeting the entry requirements for accession into the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: We welcome Turkey's recent constitutional changes as progress towards meeting the Copenhagen criteria. As the Laeken European Council in December noted, Turkey's reforms have brought forward the prospect of the opening of EU accession negotiations for Turkey. Further reforms are needed before Turkey can start negotiations with the EU. We are therefore encouraging the Turkish Government to continue their programme of political and economic reform, in line with the Accession Partnership, notably with regard to human rights.

China

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese authorities to ensure that there will be no human rights abuse in China during the preparations and hosting of the 2008 Olympics.

Denis MacShane: We take every opportunity to press the Chinese authorities to improve their human rights record. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did so with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr. Tang Jiaxuan, on 17 January.

Civil Defence Grant

Andrew Miller: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the level of civil defence grant will be for the next financial year.

Christopher Leslie: The Government have now completed their consideration of what is necessary and affordable for emergency planning by local authorities having regard to the demands that have been placed on emergency planners in recent times. We have decided, subject to the Civil Defence (Grant) Bill completing its passage through Parliament, to maintain the total grant level at around this year's level, currently estimated at some £18.6 million. The next stage is to decide how the grant will be distributed between the eligible authorities. Consideration is currently being given to the use of a formula and we will consult local authority representatives before finalising the grant allocation mechanism.

Special Advisers

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average time is that the Head of his Department has recommended since May 1997 between a special adviser leaving his Department and taking up outside employment; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided to him by the Prime Minister on 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 594W.

Civil Servants

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many civil servants work for each Government Department;
	(2)  in each Government Department, what proportion of civil servants are (a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities.

Christopher Leslie: Figures for April 2001 were published on 8 November 2001 in a press notice, copies of which can be found in the Library of the House. This information can also be accessed on the world wide web at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics.

Civil Servants

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the salary is for each of the civil service grades.

Christopher Leslie: The latest information, broken down by salary and grade level, is published in "Civil Service Statistics 2000" and is based on 1 April 2000 data. Copies of the publication can be found in the Library of the House. Table H of that publication shows numbers of civil servants by salary band and responsibility level. Departments and agencies are responsible for their own grading structures, but these have been allocated to broad responsibility levels to give a common basis for tabulation.
	For the senior civil service, new bands will be introduced from 1 April 2002. I refer my hon. Friend to the Prime Minister's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge) on 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 993W, and to the documents placed in the Library of the House.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Empty Properties

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her estimate is of the (a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties owned by (i) her Department, (ii) her agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which she has had responsibility in each of the last four years.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development owns no empty properties. There are no agencies or other public bodies for which we are responsible.

Afghanistan

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the frequency of the accidental triggering of land mines arising from the internal emigration of Afghans from the cities to the countryside following the start of the bombing of Afghan cities in October 2001.

Hilary Benn: Afghanistan has long been one of the countries most severely affected by land mine contamination, a problem which has existed for about 20 years.
	The provision of precise information on mine/UXO victims since September 2001 is very limited. Reporting to hospitals by land mine/UXO victims has been disrupted by hostilities and by the restrictions on freedom of movement. The limited information that has been reported to the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan (MAPA) indicates that land mines continue to claim lives throughout the country as people move in areas that are at risk. Unfortunately the problem is expected to worsen with the increasing repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
	Mine action operations will continue to be focused on supporting humanitarian aid movements through the clearance of communication routes, airports and high priority areas near to civilian populations, thereby reducing the risk for returnees. Coalition forces are sharing information with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
	As part of our overall commitment of £60 million to support the UN led humanitarian and recovery effort, we have allocated £3 million through UNMAS for future humanitarian mine action interventions in Afghanistan. This will cover mine clearance operations in Afghanistan as described above.

Afghanistan

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) money and (b) logistical resources have been (i) donated to and (ii) committed to the reconstruction of the physical, environmental and institutional infrastructures of Afghanistan by the United Kingdom and other donor countries.

Hilary Benn: We have set aside £20 million in this financial year to support the Interim Administration and the United Nations-led transitional recovery and rehabilitation process, while continuing to respond to humanitarian needs. This includes a contribution of £2 million already provided to the UN Afghan Interim Authority Fund to provide salaries of key public servants, equipment and supplies. As well as financial assistance, we are providing technical personnel and logistical, material and other practical support.
	At the international conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan held in Tokyo from 21–22 January 2002, I announced a significant contribution to be used for the long term rehabilitation of Afghanistan. The UK has committed £200 million over the next five financial years for both reconstruction and humanitarian activities. The majority of this pledge will be channelled through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.
	This pledge is in addition to the significant sums that the UK has contributed to the World bank, European Union and Asian Development bank, which will also direct further funds into Afghanistan in the coming years. The UK share of the European Union pledge alone with be 20 per cent.
	More than 50 countries and international organisations are currently represented at the Tokyo conference and a consolidated total of pledges will be announced when the conference concludes. This will be reported on the website www.reliefweb.int.

Money Laundering (African Governments)

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what attempts she is making to monitor money sent overseas by President Mugabe;
	(2)  what attempts she is making to monitor money sent overseas by President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya;
	(3)  what discussions she has had with the Swiss authorities in order to freeze President Mugabe's overseas accounts.

Peter Hain: I have been asked to reply. 
	The UK plays a leading role in international efforts to combat money laundering and corruption. The UK co-operates with a wide range of international partners to this end.
	I am withholding further information under Exemption 4(b) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Special Educational Needs

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will ensure that special schools continue to be part of the range of special needs provision.

Ivan Lewis: The Government's policy on special schools is clear. We want to build on the wealth of expertise within the special school sector and ensure it is at the heart of inclusive education systems. Special schools have a continuing and vital role to play, and in future will need to be confident, outward looking centres of excellence working in partnership with mainstream schools. It is for local education authorities to determine the pattern of their provision in order to meet pupils' needs and take account of parents' wishes.

School Funding (London)

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what has been the total spending on schools in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is contained in the table. Expenditure in running these authorities was affected by schools becoming grant-maintained during the early part of this period, and by the return of grant-maintained schools to LEA-maintained status in 1999–2000.
	
		Net institutional expenditure(4) -- £ million
		
			 London authorities All sectors 
			 LEA name LEA no. 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 
		
		
			 City of London 201 0.457 0.616 0.711 0.733 0.761 0.808 0.830 0.797 0.855 0.949 
			 Camden 202 45.457 52.452 53.300 51.394 50.328 53.280 56.664 57.310 58.500 72.210 
			 Greenwich 203 78.867 78.255 85.843 83.782 87.994 90.972 93.758 87.796 96.735 109.433 
			 Hackney 204 55.790 62.233 63.317 57.181 66.951 64.959 66.288 68.743 70.663 81.482 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 205 37.264 38.810 41.915 43.281 43.294 42.879 44.203 45.983 47.374 55.246 
			 Islington 206 45.795 61.737 75.272 68.639 55.063 61.704 61.675 65.165 65.323 67.182 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 207 23.424 27.869 25.236 25.239 24.699 27.099 26.479 27.881 28.807 34.967 
			 Lambeth 208 57.424 65.382 68.624 69.624 63.629 60.189 56.362 64.542 63.565 92.356 
			 Lewisham 209 65.517 68.233 65.033 72.597 74.904 80.350 80.578 90.030 93.794 107.164 
			 Southwark 210 64.814 65.988 66.224 59.549 61.919 68.458 70.382 73.393 80.902 105.177 
			 Tower Hamlets 211 69.583 79.720 84.052 96.829 95.239 99.152 104.346 102.995 110.154 125.519 
			 Wandsworth 212 65.671 73.924 67.513 54.490 55.076 54.506 49.255 50.343 53.413 90.383 
			 Westminster 213 34.185 52.072 44.889 45.636 45.608 46.574 49.295 49.686 53.011 54.171 
			 Barking and Dagenham 301 42.632 45.810 50.196 51.444 55.179 58.364 61.674 62.652 69.252 74.408 
			 Barnet 302 69.253 79.162 90.885 83.599 66.345 68.799 73.678 74.283 78.312 126.585 
			 Bexley 303 51.545 56.351 57.978 59.756 56.434 58.330 61.781 64.175 70.925 86.209 
			 Brent 304 59.098 64.424 67.128 51.972 45.151 45.152 47.351 51.575 55.738 105.460 
			 Bromley 305 61.423 59.857 53.196 50.180 51.215 47.047 42.582 43.776 48.168 108.076 
			 Croydon 306 69.349 78.298 83.105 78.762 68.111 76.522 79.009 79.640 84.937 118.172 
			 Ealing 307 76.826 79.802 70.017 68.895 69.944 71.799 74.338 75.745 81.036 108.799 
			 Enfield 308 66.894 78.218 83.569 79.795 74.649 77.335 84.951 87.727 94.540 119.979 
			 Haringey 309 56.588 61.198 66.749 75.059 77.838 82.195 87.263 88.067 91.712 96.460 
			 Harrow 310 47.399 52.058 58.719 57.319 62.193 64.302 67.205 66.538 69.757 75.762 
			 Havering 311 56.957 62.829 69.007 61.451 64.297 65.078 66.123 67.812 70.998 86.336 
			 Hillingdon 312 57.856 54.832 50.422 42.060 38.617 40.609 42.035 41.072 42.528 98.818 
			 Hounslow 313 56.593 62.483 71.891 70.047 72.494 73.523 77.119 77.458 83.255 94.208 
			 Kingston upon Thames 314 30.942 34.493 37.406 31.503 31.903 31.841 32.422 31.560 33.985 48.316 
			 Merton 315 39.133 42.586 48.938 46.024 48.242 46.783 48.604 49.516 51.652 59.060 
			 Newham 316 67.077 74.398 82.244 81.463 87.535 90.663 102.744 102.969 106.445 119.340 
			 Redbridge 317 52.732 60.647 68.704 72.055 74.107 77.169 81.436 83.533 90.317 103.514 
			 Richmond upon Thames 318 28.811 32.416 36.249 37.091 39.573 40.818 41.977 43.524 44.938 46.781 
			 Sutton 319 37.152 38.980 36.405 32.337 36.787 37.090 39.089 40.433 44.144 67.998 
			 Waltham Forest 320 65.673 67.816 67.467 68.529 65.281 74.027 73.812 76.509 80.809 97.962 
		
	
	(4) Total funding on schools is given by Net Institutional Expenditure which covers all school-based recurrent spending, including teaching and non-teaching staff salaries, school premises costs, equipment and supplies, and unspent balances held by schools at the year end. It excludes spending on special schools, central administration and support services such as transport and school meals as well as capital expenditure.
	NIE includes school balances for most years. However, balance information was not available for some previous years, and in some cases for special schools. Therefore, NIE figures across the series may not be strictly comparable.
	Expenditure data for 1990–2001 to 1998–99 inclusive are taken from RO1 returns; data for 1999–2000 taken from local authorities' S52 outturn statements.

School Teachers' Review Body

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the report of the School Teachers' Review Body.

Estelle Morris: The 2002 report of the School Teachers' Review Body has been laid before Parliament and is available in the Vote Office. I am grateful to the Chair and members of the Review Body for sustaining their important work on the modernisation of the pay system for the teaching profession.
	In making their recommendations, the Review Body were required to have regard to:
	the principles of good school leadership, incentives for excellence, a strong culture of professional development and better support for teachers to focus on teaching;
	the Government's priorities for delivering a higher quality education service;
	local government funding levels, from which all service improvements and pay settlements must be funded;
	the Government's inflation target, which required responsibility in all pay settlements;
	the need for schools to recruit, retain and motivate sufficient teachers and members of the leadership group of the required quality to deal effectively with the challenges they face;
	any prospects there may be of making the pay structure simpler and more flexible; and
	the cost of registration with the General Teaching Councils for England and Wales.
	I have considered the report carefully against these considerations and am satisfied that they are met. Accordingly I have decided to accept the Review Body's main statutory recommendations subject to consultation. They are in line with the Government's prudent and disciplined approach to public spending and their commitment to deliver high quality public services and low inflation.
	My proposals, which will take effect from 1 September 2002 except where stated otherwise, are as follows:
	General pay increase
	With effect from 1 April 2002, the values of the pay spine and scale points and allowances for qualified and unqualified classroom teachers, members of the leadership group and advanced skills teachers should be increased by 3.5 per cent.; London allowances other than the inner London Supplement should be increased by 3.5 per cent.; and a sum of £33 should be added to all spine and scale points for qualified teachers in recognition of the cost of General Teaching Council fees.
	Main pay scale for classroom teachers
	The main pay scale for classroom teachers should be shortened from nine points to six, and the distinction between good honours graduates and others abolished so that all newly qualified entrants will be eligible to apply for the performance threshold after five years.
	Upper pay scale
	The Review Body have asked that sufficient resources be made available to ensure that teachers who meet the performance criteria for progression on the upper pay scale can in fact progress. This is not a statutory recommendation, because funding is not part of teachers' statutory conditions of employment. I do not propose to increase special grant funding. The special grant is no more than a contribution to funds already available in school budgets, to encourage headteachers and governing bodies to award points as appropriate.
	Upper pay scale points should remain an entitlement when teachers transfer between schools and also that there should not be scope for voluntary forfeiture.
	Leadership group pay
	Governing bodies should have the authority to change the headteacher's individual school ranges (ISR) at any time in order to attract or retain a headteacher. The existing provision for the governing body to set, in exceptional circumstances, an ISR to extend beyond the school group maximum should be available for retention as well as for recruitment purposes. The justification for such a decision should be required to be recorded in writing.
	Up to two performance points should be available to be awarded in any one year to members of the leadership group when the governing body considers such action to be justified.
	Where headteachers are given a temporary ISR in circumstances where they are seconded to turn around a failing school, and do not receive one or more performance points because they revert to their main posts, such points should be paid as a lump sum.
	Two extra points should be added on top of each school range, including the creation of extra spine points L42 and L43, to allow such an extension for group eight, in order to provide adequate scope for setting and reviewing ISRs.
	The performance threshold
	Monitoring should continue in order to ensure any patterns of disadvantage among applicants for the performance threshold are quickly detected and their causes remedied.
	External assessors should visit schools and local authority services/units with applicants on a selective rather than universal basis.
	Teachers reaching the top of the main pay scale in September 2002 should be eligible to apply for threshold assessment in autumn 2002 as well as teachers reaching the top of the pay scale in September 2001.
	The Department should monitor the impact of guidance on threshold standards during the third round of threshold assessment and hold further discussions with the parties on the wording of the standards themselves if significant concerns remain.
	The Department should consult the interested parties on the issue of recognition of sixth form college professional standards and make a decision accordingly.
	The Department, in consultation with the parties, should ensure that effective feedback arrangements are implemented and efforts continue to improve and simplify the application process.
	The Department should ensure that the review process operates more quickly in future.
	The above proposals should take effect as soon as appropriate.
	Advanced skills teachers (ASTs)
	The Department should pursue with the interested parties the issues it raised in evidence in relation to inreach and outreach duties, management roles and review of pay ranges. The requirement for new ASTs to have passed the performance threshold will be removed.
	Other issues
	The fifth management allowance for classroom teachers should be retained.
	The Department should work together with the interested parties to establish more coherent and consistent procedures for payment for in-service training, initial teacher training activities and out-of-school learning activities.
	The Department should resolve the issue of recognition of relevant teaching and non-teaching experience through the award of experience points in consultation with the interested parties.
	The Department should again produce a statement on the pay structure, for issue to teachers in 2002.
	The Department will consider further with the interested parties whether it should undertake a study into the pay and conditions of headteachers in early years education in 2002.
	The Department will consider further with the interested parties whether it should initiate a review of the pay and terms and conditions of unattached teachers.
	The Department will report in its evidence in September 2002, for the main 2003–04 pay review, on progress in response to the following requests by the Review Body for reviews of:
	the scope and nature of the evidence, information and statistics it collects and provides on teacher recruitment, retention and labour market issues;
	how it monitors the use of pay flexibilities and advises on their application. Better monitoring and advice might obviate the need for prescriptive guidance and further the Department's aim of simpler pay arrangements;
	the nature of its advice and direction on the application of pay policies to borderline and atypical groups; and
	the scope for greater co-ordination of the current support network of assessors, advisers, local recruitment co-ordinators etc.
	Finance
	I have considered pressures on local government funding. The cost of the headline increase and shortening the main scale is estimated to be £560 million in 2002–03. This will be affordable within the resources available to local authorities. Education Standard Spending (ESS) will increase by 5.7 per cent. after adjustments.
	Next steps
	I am grateful to the Review Body for recommending a general increase at a level which is fair and which can be implemented without staging. I will now initiate consultation with the employer organisations, the teacher associations and other interested parties as required under section 2(1) of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1991, before I make provision by order for teachers' pay and conditions in 2002–03.

Pupil Exclusions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were excluded in 2000–01 who had previously been excluded from maintained schools.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not available centrally.

Pupil Exclusions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the Government's policy of excluding pupils from schools.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Government's current policy on exclusion from schools is set out in sections 64–68 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and in Circular 10/99, "Social Inclusions: Pupil Support". Head teachers, governors, LEAs and appeal panels should have regard to this guidance in discharging their functions in relation to pupil exclusion.
	The Department will be issuing a consultation paper on a draft revision of the guidance this week. The revised draft guidance consolidates the earlier amendments but at the same time represents a thorough revision of the whole text. It supports the right of a head teacher to govern their school as they see fit, ensuring their schools are safe places to learn and teach in. It also puts into place clear guidance to ensure that the sanction of exclusion is not used inappropriately. The existing guidance remains in force until responses to the revised draft guidance are considered and a new version published in the summer.
	Permanent exclusions fell to 8,300 in 1999–2000, a decrease of one fifth from 10,400 in 1998–99 and nearly a third less than the peak of 12,700 in 1996–97. The Government's target of an 8,400 reduction by 2002 has been met. The Government do not intend to set fresh targets for reducing permanent exclusions further. We can now move the agenda on to promoting the fundamentals of good behaviour, and focus on early intervention and the prevention of exclusion.

Departmental Funding Resources and Initiatives

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list all (a) funding resources and (b) initiatives sponsored by her Department for (i) the private sector, (ii) the voluntary sector and (iii) local authorities.

Estelle Morris: Most of my Department's expenditure is delivered through schools and local education authorities (LEAs), and partner organisations, including non-departmental public bodies, which in turn pass funding to providers and institutions in the private, voluntary and other sectors.
	The bulk of funding for local authorities is made up of the Education Standard Spending Assessment, £22.5 billion in the current financial year, the Standards Fund, £2.5 billion, and credit approvals of £0.5 billion. The Department also makes some separate grants available to local authorities, for example for Education Maintenance Allowances.
	The Department has allocated £450 million in private finance initiative credits to local authorities in 2001–02 to support public-private partnerships in schools.
	Full details of the initiatives sponsored by my Department for the private sector, the voluntary sector and local authorities could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department is currently contributing a comprehensive Home Office-led exercise, which is mapping involvement and funding in the voluntary and community sector. I expect my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to place this information in the Library when the exercise is completed.

School Funding

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for each of the years (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02 the average level of funding for (i) each secondary pupil in England and (ii) pupils attending specialist schools.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The table provides the information requested at part (i):
	
		Average funding per secondary pupil in England -- £
		
			 Year SSA Grants Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 3,180 230 3,410 
			 2001–02 3,310 380 3,690 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures reflect Education SSA (secondary sub-block) plus an estimate of all school related revenue grants in DfES's DEL relevant to secondary pupils (aged 11–15).
	2. Secondary school grant figures are estimated in cases where grants are allocated for more than one phase of education.
	3. Secondary schools grant figures include the specialist school element of the Standards Fund.
	4. Figures are in cash terms.
	5. 2001–02 figures are provisional as some grant allocations have still to be finalised.
	6. Figures rounded to nearest £10.
	In response to part (ii) of the question, specialist schools receive additional annual funding calculated from pupil numbers taken from the annual school census returns each year. In 2000–01 schools received £122 per pupil for all pupils up to 1,000 and over 1,200 pupils. In 2001–02 schools will receive £123 per pupil for all pupils up to 1,000 and over 1,200 pupils.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advance notice is required by her Department for associated applications for specialist school status for the (a) March 2002 and (b) October 2002 bidding rounds; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: There is no specific notice requirement for associated applications for specialist school designation. However, as stated in the guidance documents setting out the assessment criteria for applicant schools, DfES is willing to consider outline proposals from schools interested in submitting associated applications in advance of the closing date of a specialist school competition. Associated application arrangements will typically involve a group of secondary schools as part of a strategic approach to specialist school provision in an area. In due course each application will be judged on its individual merits. To give schools interested in making associated applications an advance indication of the likely view to be taken on the proposals as a whole we would encourage them to show their outline proposals to DfES at least six months before the closing date in which the first associated application will be submitted.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the value of sponsorship by the private sector for specialist schools to date which has been available (a) in cash and (b) in kind; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The aggregate contribution of private sector sponsorship to specialist schools to date is at least £58 million. Most applications will have elements of cash sponsorship and sponsorship in kind though the split varies greatly from school to school. The breakdown of cash and in kind sponsorship for each specialist school is on each school's file and not collated centrally. It is therefore not possible to give estimates of the cash and kind amounts except at disproportionate cost.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications for specialist school status have been rejected on the basis that the school in question has performance indicators which show a declining trend of performance; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: We do not maintain figures on the number of schools where a declining trend in performance has been a factor in a school's application being unsuccessful. GCSE performance is one of a range of factors taken into account as part of an applicant's specialist school development plan but has never been the sole factor in deciding not to approve an application for specialist school designation.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the level of investment in specialist schools for each year from May 1997 to 2005, broken down by (a) extra capital funding and (b) extra current expenditure; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The level of investment in specialist schools broken down by (a) capital and (b) extra recurrent expenditure from 1996–97 to 2003–04 is provided in the table. Any future and additional funding will be considered as part of the 2002 Spending Review.
	
		£ million 
		
			 Financial year Capital Recurrent Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 7.0 16.0 23.0 
			 1997–98 7.7 25.4 33.1 
			 1998–99 8.0 32.8 40.8 
			 1999–2000 4.5 42.9 47.4 
			 2000–01 13.2 58.7 71.9 
			 2001–02 15.4 78.6 94.0 
			 2002–03 16.6 91.4 108.0 
			 2003–04 16.8 110.2 127.0

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many specialist schools have increased the curriculum hours devoted to their chosen specialism, following award of specialist status; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available centrally.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the specialist schools in (a) Somerset and (b) Dorset, giving the specialism in each case.

Stephen Timms: A list of specialist schools by specialism in (a) Somerset and (b) Dorset is given below:
	Specialist schools in Somerset
	Bucklers Mead Community School—Technology
	Court Fields Community School—Technology
	Crispin School—Technology
	Heathfield Community School—Arts
	Kings of Wessex Community School (The)—Technology
	Kingsmead Community School—Language
	Ladymead Community School—Technology
	Whitstone Community School—Technology
	Specialist schools in Dorset
	Lytchett Minister School—Arts
	Highcliffe Comprehensive School—Language
	Sir John Colfox School—Language
	Shaftesbury School—Sports
	Beaminster School—Technology
	Budmouth Technology College—Technology
	Twynham School—Technology
	Westfield School—Technology.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures of deprivation are considered when considering applications for specialist school status; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: In accordance with the guidance documents which set out the criteria for the consideration of specialist school applications, some preference may be given to applications from areas of social deprivation as measured by pupils' known eligibility for free school meals.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the latest research showing the effects of specialist school status on school performance; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The latest research commissioned by the Department was published in 2000. An analysis of the performance in 2001 of specialist schools operational from September 2000 or before will shortly be prepared by Professor David Jesson on behalf of the Technology Colleges Trust and I expect this analysis to be published in the spring.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the nature of the links which she requires between primary feeder schools and secondary schools which are successful in becoming specialist schools.

Stephen Timms: The requirements for specialist school community development plans are set out in the published guidance documents on each specialism. Applications for specialist school designation must include proposals to work with at least five named schools, which will typically include one or more of the applicant's feeder primary schools. Although there are no specific requirements covering the nature of work which specialist schools undertake with their primary partners we would normally expect such links to range from, for example, the provision of access to specialist resources and facilities to joint teaching and learning activities, including specialist subject INSET, or project work to help progression between Key Stages 2 and 3.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the criteria considered by her Department when assessing bids for specialist school status.

Stephen Timms: The criteria against which applications for specialist school designation are assessed are published in eight guidance documents each dealing with one of the eight categories of specialism. These set out the considerations taken into account when deciding to designate specialist schools and are based around the eligibility of sponsorship and the quality of the school and community development plans. Copies of guidance documents have been place in the Library.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the local education authorities which have 30 per cent. or more of their pupils in specialist schools; if she will make a statement on the reasons for which further schools in such LEAs will not be considered for specialist school bids; and if she will indicate for how long the ban on further bids in such areas will last.

Stephen Timms: The local authorities which have 30 per cent. of their secondary age pupils in specialist maintained secondary schools are listed in the table.
	
		As at January 2001
		
			 LEA Pupils aged 11+ in specialist maintained secondary schools Pupils aged 11+ in all maintained secondary schools Percentage of pupils aged 11+ in specialist maintained secondary schools 
		
		
			 Wandsworth 6,395 9,944 64.3 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 10,138 16,318 62.1 
			 West Berkshire 7,033 11,740 59.9 
			 Gateshead 7,025 12,043 58.3 
			 Hackney 4,411 7,921 55.7 
			 York 4,929 9,972 49.4 
			 Darlington 2,953 6,009 49.1 
			 North Somerset 5,891 12,268 48.0 
			 Cornwall 13,685 32,000 42.8 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5,218 12,270 42.5 
			 Camden 4,544 10,868 41.8 
			 Greenwich 5,767 13,834 41.7 
			 Ealing 6,163 15,088 40.8 
			 Durham 13,116 32,158 40.8 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 5,070 12,792 39.6 
			 Bournemouth 3,800 9,768 38.9 
			 Newham 6,667 17,469 38.2 
			 Milton Keynes 4,465 12,058 37.0 
			 Wigan 7,716 20,854 37.0 
			 Birmingham 25,401 69,037 36.8 
			 Bradford 12,539 34,214 36.6 
			 Hartlepool 2,409 6,679 36.1 
			 Plymouth 6,786 18,823 36.1 
			 Gloucestershire 13,718 38,146 36.0 
			 Northumberland 8,075 22,855 35.3 
			 Manchester 8,227 23,472 35.1 
			 Rutland 789 2,254 35.0 
			 Wiltshire 9,570 27,383 34.9 
			 Cambridgeshire 10,625 30,916 34.4 
			 St. Helens 4,167 12,159 34.3 
			 Northamptonshire 14,932 44,161 33.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,709 11,079 33.5 
			 Redbridge 6,301 18,868 33.4 
			 Lambeth 2,398 7.208 33.3 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 7,333 22,627 32.4 
			 Rochdale 4,583 14,153 32.4 
			 Lincolnshire 14,210 44,166 32.2 
			 Sheffield 9,596 29,861 32.1 
			 Wakefield 6,758 21,279 31.8 
			 Trafford 5,000 15,844 31.6 
			 East Sussex 8,686 27,805 31.2 
			 Knowlsey 3,160 10,240 30.9 
			 Norfolk 13,712 44,896 30.5 
			 Warrington 4,192 13,833 30.3 
			 Leicester 5,436 18,031 30.1 
			 Leicestershire 13,014 43,184 30.1 
		
	
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census
	The restriction which applied to the application process for October 2000 and March 2001 specialist school competitions on allowing further applications from schools in local education authorities where there was already 30 per cent. of secondary aged pupils in mainstream specialist schools was lifted in July 2001.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets she has set for the number of successful bidders for specialist school status in the (a) March 2002 and (b) October 2002 bidding rounds in terms of (i) overall numbers, (ii) breakdown by specialisms, (iii) geographical spread, (iv) deprivation characteristics of the catchment areas and (v) joint bids; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: We have not set targets for the number of specialist schools beyond those already published—at least 830 by September 2002, at least 1,000 by September 2003 and at least 1,500 by September 2005. Apart from a target of 200 sports colleges by September 2004 in connection with the school sport co-ordinator programme, we have not set targets for the number of successful applications in relation to specialisms, geographic spread, deprivation characteristics of catchment areas or joint applications.

Specialist Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research her Department has carried out into the difficulties faced by schools in deprived areas in raising the private sector funds needed to apply for specialist status; what plans she has to reduce the £50,000 threshold; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Department has not carried out research on the ability of schools to raise sponsorship but we do keep specialist school sponsorship requirements under regular review. We have no plans to abolish the requirement for schools to raise sponsorship to support a specialist school application or to reduce the level of sponsorship required.

New Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of (a) beacon schools, (b) academy schools, (c) specialist schools and (d) new faith schools in each year from 1997 to 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Specialist schools Beacon schools 
		
		
			 September 1997 258 0 
			 September 1998 330 75 
			 September 1999 403 200 
			 September 2000 536 550 
			 September 2001 685 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Year Faith schools opened in each calendar year 
		
		
			 1997 5 
			 1998 9 
			 1999 6 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 5 
		
	
	Targets for increasing the number of specialist schools and beacon schools are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Specialist schools Beacon schools 
		
		
			 2002 At least 830 1,150 
			 2003 At least 1,000 1,350 
			 2004 — 1,500 
			 2005 At least 1,500 — 
		
	
	At present no city academies are open. The target is to expand the city academy programme year on year and for at least 20 academies to be open by 2005.

Secondary Schools

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of secondary schools for the period 1997 to 2007.

Stephen Timms: The available information requested is shown in the table:
	
		Number of secondary schools(5) as at January each year 1997 to 2001
		
			 January Number of schools 
		
		
			 1997 3,569 
			 1998 3,567 
			 1999 3,560 
			 2000 3,550 
			 2001 3,481 
		
	
	(5) Includes middle deemed schools.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census.
	The Department does not produce forecasts for the number of new schools. Planning the provision of new schools is the responsibility of local education authorities.

Expenditure (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of her Department's budget has been spent in Scotland since the institution of her Department in its present form.

Estelle Morris: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Most of the expenditure on education and skills in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Executive.
	My Department does, however, incur some expenditure in Scotland on Career Development Loans and Investors in People (£1.5 million and £0.1 million respectively in 2001–02). Expenditure in Scotland on those programmes makes up less than 0.01 per cent. of my Department's budget for 2001–02.
	There is also some expenditure by the Student Loans Company (SLC) on student support for those studying in Scotland. Information on relevant student support is not held centrally but the SLC has agreed to write to the hon. Member further on this.

Parental Choice

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in respect of each local education authority and for England, how many pupils did not obtain admission to the secondary school of their first choice in the most recent year for which information is available, in (a) absolute terms and (b) as a proportion of the total number of pupils transferring to secondary schools.

Stephen Timms: This information is not held centrally. However, research undertaken by the Office for National Statistics, on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills, looked at parents' experiences of the process of choosing a secondary school. Findings from this nationally representative survey of parents of children starting secondary school in September 1999 and September 2000 found that 92 per cent. of parents received an offer of a place in the school listed as their first preference.

Sixth Form Funding

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities she estimates to be entitled to education budget transitional support grant on the basis of the transfer of post-16 support to learning and skills councils in 2002–03; and if she will estimate the size of the grant in each case.

Stephen Timms: The transfer of sixth form funding to the LSC from April 2002 will be cost neutral at LEA level—the adjustments to individual SSAs to take account of the transfer will match the payments that LEAs get back from the LSC. But we propose to pay a special grant to a minority of LEAs where the changes being made to the funding methodology would not fully eliminate the impact of the funding changes in 2002–03.
	I expect details of the special grant to be released after consultation on the Local Government Finance Settlement has been completed at the end of the month.

Standard Spending Assessment

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the standard spending assessment per secondary pupil in each local education authority was for (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02; and if she will estimate this figure for each (i) local education authority and (ii) learning and skills council in 2003–04 in total and (A) for 11 to 16 and (B) post-16 years pupils.

Stephen Timms: The information requested from 1999–2000 to 2001–02 is in the table. Allocations for 2003–04 have not yet been made so figures for that year are not available.
	We are currently working up a new funding system for introduction in 2003–04, and that will affect funding allocations from that year.
	
		SSA per secondary pupil (aged 11–15) expressed in real terms -- £
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 201 City of London 10,010 24,040 13,730 
			 202 Camden 4,200 4,350 4,430 
			 203 Greenwich 4,100 4,240 4,320 
			 204 Hackney 4,800 4,920 5,000 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,340 4,450 4,510 
			 206 Islington 4,500 4,650 4,780 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 4,200 4,360 4,450 
			 208 Lambeth 4,970 5,140 5,210 
			 209 Lewisham 4,350 4,440 4,520 
			 210 Southwark 4,450 4,570 4,660 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 4,700 4,800 4,910 
			 212 Wandsworth 4,020 4,100 4,150 
			 213 Westminster 3,980 4,100 4,170 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 3,560 3,660 3,760 
			 302 Barnet 3,280 3,370 3,470 
			 303 Bexley 3,180 3,260 3,330 
			 304 Brent 3,910 3,980 4,080 
			 305 Bromley 3,120 3,180 3,260 
			 306 Croydon 3,470 3,560 3,660 
			 307 Ealing 3,680 3,790 3,900 
			 308 Enfield 3,430 3,510 3,630 
			 309 Haringey 4,050 4,160 4,270 
			 310 Harrow 3,320 3,410 3,540 
			 311 Havering 3,150 3,220 3,310 
			 312 Hillingdon 3,290 3,370 3,460 
			 313 Hounslow 3,470 3,560 3,680 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 3,120 3,190 3,290 
			 315 Merton 3,370 3,450 3,560 
			 316 Newham 4,010 4,110 4,230 
			 317 Redbridge 3,340 3,430 3,540 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 3,040 3,120 3,220 
			 319 Sutton 3,150 3,200 3,280 
			 320 Waltham Forest 3,710 3,790 3,900 
			 330 Birmingham 3,300 3,410 3,460 
			 331 Coventry 3,100 3,190 3,220 
			 332 Dudley 2,830 2,910 2,950 
			 333 Sandwell 3,130 3,210 3,270 
			 334 Solihull 2,810 2,870 2,900 
			 335 Walsall 2,990 3,070 3,100 
			 336 Wolverhampton 3,160 3,230 3,280 
			 340 Knowsley 3,520 3,650 3,670 
			 341 Liverpool 3,370 3,510 3,550 
			 342 St. Helens 2,990 3,080 3,130 
			 343 Sefton 2,950 3,060 3,070 
			 344 Wirral 3,080 3,180 3,220 
			 350 Bolton 2,970 3,050 3,080 
			 351 Bury 2,850 2,940 2,990 
			 352 Manchester 3,550 3,690 3,720 
			 353 Oldham 3,040 3,140 3,190 
			 354 Rochdale 3,100 3,200 3,240 
			 355 Salford 3,150 3,240 3,290 
			 356 Stockport 2,830 2,910 2,950 
			 357 Tameside 2,930 3,030 3,080 
			 358 Trafford 2,910 2,980 3,010 
			 359 Wigan 2,850 2,930 2,970 
			 370 Barnsley 2,990 3,080 3,140 
			 371 Doncaster 3,100 3,180 3,200 
			 372 Rotherham 2,940 3020 3,060 
			 373 Sheffield 3,020 3,110 3,150 
			 380 Bradford 3,170 3,270 3,320 
			 381 Calderdale 2,980 3,070 3,120 
			 382 Kirklees 3,010 3,100 3,510 
			 383 Leeds 2,970 3,070 3,110 
			 384 Wakefield 2,890 2,980 3,030 
			 390 Gateshead 3,030 3,120 3,170 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,180 3,300 3,340 
			 392 North Tyneside 2,960 3,050 3,090 
			 393 South Tyneside 3,080 3,180 3,230 
			 394 Sunderland 3,040 3,130 3,180 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 5,370 5,590 5,530 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 2,760 2,830 2,860 
			 801 Bristol, City of 3,080 3,170 3,210 
			 802 North Somerset 2,850 2,920 2,950 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 2,770 2,840 2,870 
			 805 Hartlepool 3,040 3,150 3,200 
			 806 Middlesbrough 3,240 3,360 3,430 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 3,040 3,120 3,170 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 3,000 3,100 3,140 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 3,150 3,260 3,310 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,850 2,930 2,980 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 3,030 3,130 3,190 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 2,980 3,070 3,120 
			 815 North Yorkshire 2,890 2,980 3,020 
			 816 York 2,860 2,940 2,970 
			 820 Bedfordshire 2,980 3,080 3,160 
			 821 Luton 3,270 3,360 3,440 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 2,990 3,090 3,170 
			 826 Milton Keynes 3,110 3,190 3,270 
			 830 Derbyshire 2,840 2,920 2,970 
			 831 Derby 3,030 3,140 3,180 
			 835 Dorset 2,850 2,930 2,960 
			 836 Poole 2,810 2,870 2,920 
			 837 Bournemouth 2,930 3,010 3,050 
			 840 Durham 2,990 3,090 3,140 
			 841 Darlington 2,970 3,080 3,110 
			 845 East Sussex 3,060 3,170 3,250 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 3,160 3,260 3,340 
			 850 Hampshire 2,920 3,010 3,090 
			 851 Portsmouth 3,140 3,210 3,280 
			 852 Southampton 3,190 3,300 3,380 
			 855 Leicestershire 2,770 2,850 2,890 
			 856 Leicester 3,220 3,330 3,380 
			 857 Rutland 2,750 2,880 2,830 
			 860 Staffordshire 2,810 2,880 2,930 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 2,990 3,100 3,170 
			 865 Wiltshire 2,900 2,970 3,000 
			 866 Swindon 2,880 2,960 2,990 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 3,070 3,160 3,240 
			 868 Windsor and Maindenhead 3,010 3,110 3,190 
			 869 West Berkshire 2,870 2,960 3,050 
			 870 Reading 3,180 3,270 3,380 
			 871 Slough 3,670 3,760 3,870 
			 872 Wokingham 2,790 2,870 2,950 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 2,890 2,960 3,000 
			 874 Peterborough 3,070 3,170 3,220 
			 875 Cheshire 2,820 2,900 2,930 
			 876 Halton 3,120 3,220 3,280 
			 877 Warrington 2,810 2,890 2,930 
			 878 Devon 2,960 3,040 3,070 
			 879 Plymouth 2,940 3,040 3,080 
			 880 Torbay 2,980 3,080 3,110 
			 881 Essex 3,050 3,150 3,230 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 3,100 3,200 3,280 
			 883 Thurrock 3,250 3,350 3,420 
			 884 Herefordshire 2,980 3,060 3,090 
			 885 Worcestershire 2,820 2,900 2,940 
			 886 Kent 3,050 3,150 3,230 
			 887 Medway 3,020 3,120 3,200 
			 888 Lancashire 2,950 3,040 3,090 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 3,180 3,280 3,310 
			 890 Blackpool 3,030 3,130 3,170 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 2,870 2,960 3,000 
			 892 Nottingham 3,320 3,410 3,460 
			 893 Shropshire 2,890 2,960 3,010 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 2,990 3,090 3,130 
			 908 Cornwall 2,990 3,060 3,110 
			 909 Cumbria 2,940 3,030 3,080 
			 916 Gloucestershire 2,870 2,940 2,970 
			 919 Hertfordshire 3,080 3,170 3,250 
			 921 Isle of Wight 3,130 3,260 3,360 
			 925 Lincolnshire 2,960 3,040 3,080 
			 926 Norfolk 2,960 3,050 3,100 
			 928 Northamptonshire 2,900 2,970 3,010 
			 929 Northumberland 2,930 3,010 3,060 
			 931 Oxfordshire 2,970 3,070 3,160 
			 933 Somerset 2,910 2,980 3,020 
			 935 Suffolk 2,880 2,960 3,000 
			 936 Surrey 3,040 3,130 3,220 
			 937 Warwickshire 2,840 2,920 2,950 
			 938 West Sussex 2,950 3,040 3,130 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures rounded to the nearest £10
	2. Figures in 2000–01 prices using GDP Deflators published by Treasury on 20 December 2001

TREASURY

Children's Tax Credit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the number and nature of representations received calling for an increase of the children's tax credit in order to meet the cost of nurseries and child minders.

Dawn Primarolo: We are not aware of any representations to increase the level of children's tax credit to help with the costs of nurseries and child minders.

Euro Bank Accounts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of euro accounts opened in the United Kingdom banks; and what percentage this is of the total.

Ruth Kelly: The latest quarterly review by the Association for Payment Clearing Systems (APACS) identified that there were about 135,000 euro bank accounts and approximately 6 per cent. of UK businesses have opened one.

Tobacco

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue lost due to excise evasion on (a) hand-rolling tobacco and (b) cigarettes since the abolition of European fiscal frontiers; and how much of this revenue has been recovered.

Paul Boateng: Relevant information concerning estimates of fraud can be found in the Customs and Excise technical paper "Measuring Indirect Tax Fraud", published on 27 November 2001, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Excise Movement and Control System

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress and expected time scale of measures to implement a computerised excise movement and control system throughout the EU.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 14 January 2002
	The Commission published a proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the European Council on computerising the movement and surveillance of excisable products on 19 November 2001. The proposal, if agreed, would establish the computerised system within five years.

VAT (Cancer Charities)

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the revenue that would be forgone if charities which pay irrecoverable VAT on the cost of building and refurbishing cancer treatment facilities were to be allowed to recover VAT or to have such work zero-rated.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 16 January 2002
	No estimate is available of the cost to the Exchequer of allowing charities to recover VAT on the cost of building and refurbishing cancer treatment facilities or the cost of having such work zero-rated.

VAT (Cancer Charities)

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the definition is of a hospice for the purposes of VAT;
	(2)  what his policy is towards the liability of hospices for VAT;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on how EU law affects his powers to determine the liability of charities for VAT on the construction and refurbishment of facilities for cancer treatment.

Paul Boateng: holding answers 16 January 2002
	EU VAT law provides no specific relief for charities constructing or refurbishing facilities for cancer treatment. Neither does it provide any definition of a hospice. In the UK, the construction of new residential hospices is zero-rated provided the organisation that commissioned the building work also occupies it. The construction of new non-residential treatment facilities and the repair or refurbishment of existing buildings is standard-rated. Long-standing agreements with our European partners allow us to retain our existing zero-rates but prevent us from introducing any new ones.

VAT (Cancer Charities)

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to allow Macmillan Cancer Relief to recover VAT on its building costs incurred in respect of buildings which are owned or managed by the national health service.

Paul Boateng: holding answer 16 January 2002
	The Government looked very carefully at the issue of irrecoverable VAT as part of the 1999 Review of Charity Taxation, concluding that to allow refund would be prohibitively expensive and would breach fundamental principles of VAT law.
	Customs are ready to provide help and advice to any charity experiencing VAT problems. They have recently written to the Chief Executive of Macmillan Cancer Relief and hope to meet the charity soon to discuss the VAT implications of their building programmes.

Intra-community Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the intra-Community trade declared despatch arrival values for January to February 2001 as a percentage of the corresponding values for January to February 2000.

Paul Boateng: HM Customs and Excise collect statistics for intra-Community trade via the Intrastat system.
	The declared intra-Community trade for arrivals and despatches for January and February 2001, expressed as percentages of the corresponding values for the same months of 2000 are as follows:
	Arrivals
	January 2001
	Declarations as a percentage of value of January 2000 declarations—116 per cent.
	February 2001
	Declarations as a percentage of value of February 2000 declarations—106 per cent.
	Despatches
	January 2001
	Declarations as a percentage of value of January 2000 declarations—117 per cent.
	February 2001
	Declarations as a percentage of value of February 2000 declarations—109 per cent.

Intra-community Trade

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the compliance rate of traders in statistical submissions for intra-Community transactions in January and February; and what percentage was received by the due date.

Paul Boateng: HM Customs and Excise collect statistics for intra-Community trade via the Intrastat Supplementary Declaration. Declarations can be submitted on paper or electronically.
	During 2001, paper declarations were to be submitted to Customs by the tenth day following the end of the reference period to which the declaration referred. Electronic declarations were to be submitted by the last day of the month following the end of the reference period to which the declaration referred.
	Partially compliant traders are those who submit some, but not all, of their declarations by due date.
	The percentages of declarations for January and February 2001 received by the due date are as follows:
	
		Declarations received by respective due date -- Percentage
		
			 Date Paper Electronic 
		
		
			 January 2001   
			 Arrivals   
			 Trade value received by due date 44 89 
			 Traders fully compliant by due date 51 70 
			 Traders partially compliant by due date 4 7 
			 Dispatches   
			 Trade value received by due date 47 89 
			 Traders fully compliant by due date 56 76 
			 Traders partially compliant by due date 2 4 
			
			 February 2001   
			 Arrivals   
			 Trade value received by due date 41 91 
			 Traders fully compliant by due date 48 73 
			 Traders partially compliant by due date 3 7 
			 Dispatches   
			 Trade value received by due date 46 89 
			 Traders fully compliant by due date 51 80 
			 Traders partially compliant by due date 2 2

Single Market

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the changes in Customs and Excise duties arising from the operation of the European single market and cross-channel shopping; and what estimates were made before the single market came into force.

Paul Boateng: No changes in Customs and Excise duties arose from the operation of the European single market and cross-channel shopping.

Single Market

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the changes in revenue to the Exchequer arising from the introduction of the European single market (a) through the increased allowances on importation of EC-produced cigarettes and tobacco products and (b) through increased smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco products.

Paul Boateng: Customs and Excise make no estimates about the effects of the European single market on the smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco products.

VAT

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much on average each VAT inspector raised an additional VAT liability in the last financial year; and what is the average annual cost of employing a VAT inspector.

Paul Boateng: In 2000–01 each VAT inspector raised, on average, £446,000 in net additional liability. The average cost of employing a VAT inspector is around £40,000.

VAT

Ian Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if a person registered for VAT can reclaim from the Customs and Excise the costs of building (a) a mausoleum for himself and (b) a home for himself.

Paul Boateng: Anyone building a home for themself, whether or not they are VAT registered, is able to claim the VAT paid on goods and materials under the DIY builders refund scheme, details of which are available from the Customs and Excise National Advice Service on 0845 010 9000. The scheme applies only to dwellings, not to mausoleums.

Departmental Overspend

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Departments overspent their allocated budget in 2000–01; and by how much in each case.

Andrew Smith: As set out in "Public Expenditure 2000–2001 Provisional Outturn" Cm 5243, one Department overspent its departmental expenditure limit in 2000–01—the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by £4,932,000.

International Aid

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he estimates the Government will reach the UN target of 0.7 per cent. of GNI for international aid.

Paul Boateng: The Government remain fully committed to the UN 0.7 per cent. oda/GNP target. We have set out our plans for the next three years to 2003–04 and, as these show, development assistance as a proportion of GNP will rise to 0.33 per cent. in 2003–04, up from 0.26 per cent. in 1997. In his speech in New York and in his pre-Budget report speech, the Chancellor emphasised his commitment to ensuring further substantial increases in development assistance. The forthcoming Spending Review is an opportunity to consider plans for development spending beyond 2003–04, alongside other priorities and pressures.
	Aid effectiveness is also important as well as aid volumes. The Government are committed to redirecting their development assistance budget to the poorest countries, particularly those with effective Governments pursuing high growth and pro-poor economic and social policies. In addition the Government have untied all their aid as from 1 April last year.

Enron

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will suspend Arthur Andersen accountants from Government contracts until the US Senate Committee investigation into Enron is completed.

Andrew Smith: I am aware of no evidence to suggest any involvement by UK members of Arthur Andersen and so there are no grounds to consider suspending the firm from Government contracts.

Oil and Gas Industry (National Insurance)

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans HM Treasury has to amend the liability for and collection method of NIC contributions from those individuals employed offshore in the UK continental shelf area by non-UK companies; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to amend the liability for or collection method of national insurance contributions from these individuals.

Aggregates Levy

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of the aggregates levy on the Scottish economy in terms of (a) employment and (b) output.

Paul Boateng: A Regulatory Impact Assessment for the aggregates levy was published at the time of the Budget 2000. It is available from the Customs and Excise website.

Terrorism (Spending)

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the expected cost to Her Majesty's Government over the current financial year of the measures to combat terrorism announced by the Home Secretary on 15 October 2001, Official Report, columns 923–25.

David Blunkett: holding answer 25 October 2001
	I have been asked to reply.
	£8.5 million of additional funding has been allocated for a range of anti-terrorism measures in the current year. In addition to this, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his Statement on the pre-Budget report, announced on 27 November that a further £30 million had been made available to the Metropolitan police and other police forces to fund the need for additional policing since 11 September, during the current financial year.

National Minimum Wage (Wealden)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Wealden received the recent increase in the national minimum wage.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Charles Hendry, dated 23 January 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of people in Wealden who have received the increase in the national minimum wage (NMW). (29712)
	Estimates for Parliamentary Constituencies are not available.
	Estimates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions are posted on the National Statistics website at: www.statistics.gov.uk/ nsbase/themes/labour_market/nmw_lowpay_tables.asp

DEFENCE

Gulf War Veterans

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest figures are for deaths to Gulf veterans; and what the figures are among the control group.

Lewis Moonie: Peer reviewed scientific data comparing the mortality rates of UK Gulf veterans to an era group of service personnel who did not deploy to the Gulf were published for the first time in the Lancet on 1 July 2000. Updates to these figures were provided by the Ministry of Defence to the House on 20 July 2000, 22 January 2001 and 18 July 2001. The MOD has undertaken to continue to monitor the mortality of both Gulf veterans and the era group and will publish updated figures on a regular basis. The figures as at 31 December 2001 are shown in the table.
	Overall, in the period 1 April 1991 to 31 December 2001, the mortality of UK Gulf veterans was no different than that of the control group. Slightly fewer Gulf veterans have died from disease-related causes than have those in the control group, whereas the number of Gulf veterans dying of external causes is a little higher than for the control group. These differences are similar to those shown by the figures published in July 2001.
	
		Deaths to UK Gulf veterans(6) 1 April 1991 to 31 December 2001 Causes (coded to ICD-9)(7)
		
			 ICD Chapter Cause of death Gulf Era Mortality rate ratio(8) 
		
		
			  All deaths 524 520 1.00 
			  All cause coded deaths 514 510 1.00 
			  
			 I-XVI Disease-related causes 198 240 0.82 
			 I Infectious and parasitic diseases 3 2 1.49 
			 II Cancers 84 94 0.89 
			 III Endocrine and immune disorders 1 4 0.25 
			 V Mental disorders 11 12 0.91 
			 VI Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs 7 6 1.16 
			 VII Diseases of the circulatory system 68 90 0.75 
			 VII Diseases of the respiratory system 10 5 1.99 
			 IX Diseases of the digestive system 11 16 0.68 
			 IV, X-XVI All other disease-related causes 3 11 0.27 
			  
			 EXVII External causes of injury and poisoning 316 270 1.17 
			  Railway accidents 4 1 3.98 
			  Motor vehicle accidents 110 92 1.19 
			  Water transport accidents 4 1 3.98 
			  Air and space accidents 25 17 1.46 
			  Other vehicles accidents 0 1 0.00 
			  Accidental poisoning 10 14 0.71 
			  Accidental falls 8 6 1.33 
			  Accidents due to fire/flames 0 2 0.00 
			  Accidents due to natural environmental factors 2 2 1.00 
			  Accidents due to submersion/suffocation/foreign bodies 17 7 2.42 
			  Other accidents 31 27 1.14 
			  Late effects of accident/injury 0 2 0.00 
			  Suicide and injury undetermined whether accidental 97 90 1.07 
			  Homicide 5 4 1.24 
			  Injury resulting from the operations of war 3 4 0.75 
			  
			  Other deaths for which coded cause data are not yet available 7 7 — 
			  Overseas deaths for which cause data are not available 3 3 — 
		
	
	(6) Service and ex-Service personnel only.
	(7) World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 9th revision 1997.
	(8) Mortality rate ratios differ marginally from the crude deaths ratio owing to some small differences between the Gulf and Era cohorts.

Computer Crime

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of computer (a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in 2000 and 2001; and on how many occasions in 2000 and 2001 computer systems in his Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers within and outside his Department.

Lewis Moonie: The number of incidents affecting computer systems for the years 2000 and 2001 are summarised in the table:
	
		
			 Incident type 2000 2001(9) 
		
		
			 Computer hacking total 9 12 
			 of which there were:   
			 website defacements 3 2 
			 internal incursions 6 10 
			 Computer fraud 4 4 
			 Computer theft(10) 267 312 
		
	
	(9) Reports thus far.
	(10) Computer theft figures include desktops, laptops and items of computer peripheral equipment.
	None of the instances of hacking had any operational impact, and despite widespread and frequent probes of the Ministry of Defence firewalls connected to the internet, there is no evidence of any successful incursion from an external source to any departmental computer system. While website defacement may constitute an offence under The Computer Misuse Act 1990, none of the instances recorded provided clear grounds for prosecution.
	In the case of computer fraud, all instances are cases where MOD computers have been used in support of fraudulent activities, rather than specific fraud of a computer based system.

Cadets

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much grant was given to fund (a) army cadet forces and (b) Harrow School cadet force in each of the last three years.

Lewis Moonie: The amount of grant given to fund army cadet forces and Harrow School cadet force in each of the last three years is set out in the table:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Financial year Army cadet forces Harrow school cadet force 
		
		
			 1998–99 3.558 0.008 
			 1999–2000 3.606 0.008 
			 2000–01 3.402 0.009 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Grants are allocated to cadet forces on a "per person" basis.
	2. Harrow School Cadet Force is a Combined Cadet Force with some 450 members.
	3. Grants are not the only funds provided to the Cadet Force; they are also allocated funds from the usual Ministry of Defence budgetary chain.

Cadets

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the army cadet force per annum since 1997.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 11 December 2001
	The amount spent on the army cadet force per annum since 1997 is shown in the table:
	
		£ million 
		
			 Financial year Expenditure on the army cadet force 
		
		
			 1997–98 27.1 
			 1998–99 27.5 
			 1999–2000 31.7 
			 2000–01 32.0 
		
	
	Note:
	This expenditure includes funding made available from the usual Ministry of Defence budgetary chain and Cadet Force grants.

RAF Aircraft

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his estimate is of the difference in planned expenditure between the 25th (a) A400M aircraft for the RAF and (b) C130J aircraft over the lifetime of the programme; and what the in-service date would be of the last aircraft.

Lewis Moonie: Any cost comparisons between these two aircraft are misleading because they provide different capabilities and their in-service dates are 10 years apart. For example, we expect that the A400M will have a 50 per cent. greater payload capacity and provide the RAF with a new capability to carry outsize loads too. We estimate that the acquisition costs of the A400M are approximately £1.6 billion (40 per cent.) greater (on an outturn basis) than those of the C130J. However, the difference at current prices is approximately £0.5 billion (12 per cent.).
	The final C130J was accepted into service in June 2001 and we expect the 25th A400M to be delivered in 2014.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed in his Department in each of the last four years.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office (Mr. Leslie) gave to the hon. Gentleman on 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 256W.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Lewis Moonie: Reported cases of stolen equipment are held centrally on a summary basis and relate only to suspected theft by Crown personnel and contractors of stores and equipment, usually recorded as multiples or combinations of small value items such as tools, items of clothing, foodstuffs etc. Full details of items of equipment valued at more than £50 which have been proven to have been stolen or recorded as lost could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, a list of separately identified discrete items suspected of being stolen in each of the last four financial years and with an estimated individual or collective loss value of £1,000.00 or more is given as follows:
	
		
			 Equipment £ 
		
		
			 1997–98  
			 Laptop computers (18) 38,010 
			 Night vision goggles 1,600 
			 Camcorder 1,200 
			 Dental gold 12,015 
			 Propeller blades 32,000 
			 Notebook computer 1,000 
			 VHS recorders (2) 1,000 
			 Engines (2) 4,162 
			 Weapon sight 1,389 
			 Outboard motor 1,101 
			 Thinkpad computer 2,000 
			 Land Rover tyres (15) 1,537 
			 Weapon sight 1,736 
			 Binoculars (3) 1,190 
			 Land Rover and tools 32,011 
			   
			 1998–99  
			 Laptop computers (2) 3,400 
			 Laptop computer/CD Rom/printer 3,485 
			 Industrial cleaner 1,551 
			 Spare wheels (10) 6,419 
			 Land Rover FFR 30,000 
			 Personal computer 1,512 
			 Computer/mouse/keyboard 1,400 
			 Night vision scope 2,674 
			 Common weapon sight 1,424 
			 Land Rover spare wheels (10) 1,049 
			 Litepro projector 4,445 
			 Litepro projector and computer 6,445 
			 Laptop computer and printer 1,449 
			 LCD projector 4,274 
			 1999–2000  
			 Operational ration packs (4,000) 2,755 
			 Night goggles (2) 22,768 
			   
			 2000–01  
			 Laptop computers (4) 7,748 
			 Trailer 3,698 
			 Computer/printer/fax/TV/VCR 1,750 
			 Mobile phones (4)/laptop computer 2,000 
			 Camouflage poles 3,500 
			 Personal computer/printer/power unit 3,000 
			 Diesel stove 2,918 
			 Mobile phone 'top-up' cards (400) 13,300 
			 Landrover 23,800 
			 Vauxhall Astra 1,206 
			 Motorcycle 1,915

Ministerial Transport

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last used the railway service in connection with his official duties; what station he left from and what was the destination; and whether it is his intention to make greater use of the railways in future.

Lewis Moonie: The Defence Secretary's travel arrangements are made in accordance with the guidance set out in Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code and the accompanying guidance document Travel by Ministers. The most efficient and cost effective mode of transport is used, bearing in mind security considerations. Travel by rail is used when most appropriate.
	The Secretary of State for Defence last used a train on official duties on 5 September 2001, travelling to Luton Parkway station. He also regularly travels by rail between the Ministry of Defence and his constituency, most recently on 21 January.

Afghanistan

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 392W, on Afghanistan, if he will place copies of his guidance on the handling of prisoners in Afghanistan in the Library; and under which paragraph of Exemption 1 he withheld details of the dates of issue.

Geoff Hoon: I am withholding copies in accordance with section (a) of Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. This section of Exemption 1 also applied to my hon. Friend's previous question on dates.

Former WEU Agencies

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the (a) European Union Satellite Centre and (b) European Union Institute for Security Studies are operational as agencies of the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The former Western European Union bodies, the Satellite Centre and Institute for Security Studies, transferred to the European Union and began operation as agencies in support of the Common Foreign and Security Policy with effect from 1 January 2002.

Departmental Staff

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate total annual staff costs for his Department and its agencies by nation and region of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what requests she has received from Northumberland county council for her Department to provide evidence to Professor Dower inquiry into the foot and mouth outbreak; what response she has made; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 17 January 2002
	Northumberland county council notified me of the inquiry they had established and their invitation for written comments. In reply we forwarded comments on a series of topics which were likely to be of interest to the inquiry. Subsequently we have received some specific questions from Professor Dower and the inquiry team and a reply has been sent to meet their deadline.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 164W, on the costs of the foot and mouth outbreak, what the present estimate is of the total cost to public funds of the foot and mouth outbreak.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 17 January 2002
	The latest estimate of the cost of the foot and mouth disease outbreak stands at £2,059 million.
	This includes a provisional forecast of £19 million for costs to MOD and other Government Departments. We are still awaiting costs from five other Government Departments but these amounts are expected to be very small.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what efforts she made to ensure value for money from contractors employed to assist with culling and farm clean-up work during the foot and mouth outbreak.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 17 January 2002
	We have made extensive use of professional project managers, quantity surveyors and forensic accountants to ensure value for money is attained on contracts placed during the foot and mouth crisis.
	These have been supported as necessary by legal and procurement experts.

HFCs

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of plant and equipment installed in her Department's offices in the last 12 months contains HFCs.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 16 November 2001
	No central record is kept of plant and equipment installed in the Department. The Department is, though, well aware that in October 2000 regulations came into force which confirmed the total ban on the use of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and introduced a ban on HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) in new equipment from 1 January 2001. Substitute refrigerants have therefore been introduced whose benefits include reduced ozone depletion potential, toxicity, flammability and global warming potential. These substitute refrigerants include approved HFCs. The Department therefore endorses the use of the Office of Government Commerce Buying Solutions since they supply HFC based equipment. Our facilities managers and design consults are well aware of the regulations and specify new equipment accordingly.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  on what date her Department became aware that meat from the offspring of a cow with BSE had entered the human food chain;
	(2)  on what date her Department informed the Food Standards Agency that meat from the offspring of a cow with BSE had entered the human food chain.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 18 January 2002
	The Animal Health Office discovered that an offspring had been moved while under restrictions on 3 January. After further investigation, a detailed written report outlining the circumstances of the case was received in London on 8 January. The Food Standards Agency was informed on 10 January.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she made of using postal services to obtain the passports of the offspring of cattle with BSE during the foot and mouth epidemic.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 18 January 2002
	There was no practical alternative to using postal services in circumstances where it was desirable to minimise visits both on to and off farms.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many cases comprise the backlog in the seizure of animal passports in relation to BSE controls; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what response she has made to the Food Standards Agency's request for her Department to clear the backlog in the seizure of animal passports in relation to BSE controls.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 18 January 2002
	Animal Health Offices have been asked to seize all outstanding passports for offspring animals under BSE restrictions and to report on progress early in the week beginning 21 January. Animal Health Offices have also been instructed to prioritise offspring cull work.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what means her Department became aware that meat from the offspring of a cow with BSE had entered the human food chain.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 18 January 2002
	The Animal Health Office contacted the offspring's owner in order to arrange for it to be slaughtered. The farmer informed the Animal Health Office that the animal had been moved. Further investigation revealed that the animal had been slaughtered for human consumption.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to confiscate animal passports of cattle which are the offspring of animals with BSE and are awaiting slaughter.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 17 January 2002
	There are no changes to our policy that the passports of all offspring born after 1 August 1996 to suspected BSE cases should be removed. Checks are being made to ensure that this has happened in all cases. This does not alter the owner's responsibility to comply with restriction notices served on them.

BSE

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many offspring of BSE-infected cattle were awaiting slaughter in January 2001; and what is the present number.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 17 January 2002
	134 offspring of BSE-infected cattle were awaiting slaughter in Great Britain on 14 January 2001. As at 14 January 2002, there were 478 offspring awaiting slaughter.

Energy Efficiency

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to extend the loan action scheme to England.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 22 January 2002
	I assume the hon. Gentleman is referring to the loan action scheme to improve energy efficiency in small and medium enterprises run by the Energy Saving Trust in Scotland, or the similar scheme which the Trust operates in Northern Ireland. The introduction of a similar scheme in England would be a matter for consideration by the Energy Saving Trust and the recently formed Carbon Trust, in the preparation of their business plans.

Flood Defences (Lewes)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for flood defence provision in Lewes resulting from the decision on the contribution of East Sussex County Council to the flood levy for 2002–03.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 16 January 2002
	I understand that the Sussex Local Flood Defence Committee is meeting again on 25 January to discuss the 2002–03 levy and its implications for the Environment Agency's plans for flood management. I await the agency's assessment of any implications for flood defence provision in Lewes.

Animal Experiments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to seek changes to EU legislation in respect of the mandatory testing of chemicals on animals.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 22 January 2002
	In line with Government policy on experiments on live animals, the policy of the Department is to seek reduction in such experimentation wherever possible, consistent with the protection of human health and the environment. We take the view that, while a complete ban is not yet achievable, much more should be done to reduce the numbers of animals used in determining the environmental fate and effects of chemicals.
	We are aware of the concern that has been raised that the EU Review of Chemicals legislation might lead to a large increase in the number of animals used in tests. We sympathise with these concerns, and have made it clear to the Commission of the European Communities and to other member states that a key objective of this review must be to keep the need for animal experimentation to an absolute minimum. This should include:
	requiring companies to share information about chemicals
	prioritising chemicals for testing
	finding and validating test methods which do not require the use of animals.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from her Department in each of the last four years.

Elliot Morley: The Department records show that the following items have been stolen or lost in the last four years. Data from 8 June 2001 relate to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs while previous information covers Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
	
		£ 
		
			 Date Items lost Cost 
		
		
			 1998   
			 12 January 2 PCs 6,000 
			 26 January 1 Special telephone handset 80 
			 2 February 1 Video recorder 190 
			 10 June 1 Answering machine 80 
			 21 June 1 Laptop 2,500 
			 5 September 1 Laptop 3,110 
			 21 September 2 Laptops 6,000 
			
			 1999   
			 1 February 1 Laptop plus zip plus mouse 2,300 
			 23 February 2 Central processing units 2,250 
			 26 March 2 PCs plus 8 copies of software plus 2 ethernet cards 2,250 
			 14 April 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 19 April 1 Psion Organiser 350 
			 27 April 4 power adapters with accessories 400 
			 23 July 1 Field equipment and mobile phone 70 
			 18 August 1 Laptop and accessories 1,570 
			 6 September 1 Mobile phone and accessories 100 
			 20 September 1 Laptop 2,300 
			 27 September 3 Software CDs 400 
			 1 October Cash from purse 100 
			 28 October 1 PC plus printer 2,000 
			 15 November 1 Laptop 1,950 
			 22 November 1 Laptop 1,580 
			 20 December 1 Laptop 1,320 
			 2000   
			 28 January 1 Laptop 1,000 
			 13 February 1 PC plus printer 3,192 
			 27 February 1 Laptop plus floppy disk drive 2,765 
			 21 March 1 Psion Organiser 380 
			 28 March 1 Psion 5 MX 383 
			 5 April 1 Laptop plus mobile printer 1,000 
			 26 April 1 Raincoat 150 
			 16 May 29 Processors plus 1 laptop 5,478 
			 24 May 2000 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 26 May 2000 1 Laptop, printer and accessories 1,244 
			 10 June Cash 100 
			 10 June 1 Mobile phone 120 
			 7 July 2 PCs plus 1 Laptop 5,000 
			 19 July 4 Compaq processors 4,000 
			 20 July 1 Laptop plus Modem card 1,100 
			 2 August 1 Laptop plus 1 printer plus 1 printer lead 1,820 
			 7 August 3 PCs 3,250 
			 17 August 1 Processor 500 
			 11 September 1 Laptop, mouse and connections 1,500 
			 12 October 1 Modem 100 
			 30 October 1 Laptop 2,585 
			 20 November 1 Laptop plus 1 floppy disc and CD drive 2,660 
			 29 November 3 Processors 675 
			
			 2001   
			 1 February 1 Laptop 2,998 
			 6 February 2 Laptops 3,500 
			 8 February 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 12 February 2 Laptops 4,000 
			 12 March 1 PC plus printer 2,500 
			 21 March 1 Laptop 1,500 
			 2 April 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 9 May 2 DIM cards 146 
			 20 May 1 Keyboard 96 
			 2 July 1 PC 700 
			 2 August 1 Pentium 1,000 
			 16 August 1 Laptop plus 1 modem and carry case 2,000 
			 14 September 1 Laptop 1,500 
			 28 September 1 Laptop 1,500 
			 1 October 1 Laptop 1,579 
			 5 October 1 Laptop 1,579 
			 21 November 1 Laptop plus projector 1,879 
			 19 December 2 Printers 300

Air Pollution

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding has been made available by her Department to tackle air pollution in Buckinghamshire in each year since 1997.

Michael Meacher: Resources to allow local authorities in Buckinghamshire and elsewhere to carry out their local air quality management duties have been provided every year since 1997 through the annual Local Government Finance Settlement. A total of a little over £2 million is included for these purposes in the annual settlement. Resources for individual local authority duties are not ring-fenced, however, and decisions on the allocation of resources are a matter for local authorities themselves. In addition to this, supplementary credit approvals are made available each year to local authorities to help with the purchase of air quality monitoring and modelling equipment. Since 1997, we have awarded a little over £420,000 (Table 1) to support local authority capital expenditure in Buckinghamshire on air quality equipment.
	
		Table 1. Value of supplementary credit approvals to local authorities in Buckinghamshire, 1997 to 2002
		
			 Year Value (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 76,808 
			 1998–99 36,000 
			 1999–2000 175,000 
			 2000–01 50,456 
			 2001–02 82,000

Refrigerators

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress is being made to help small businesses continue to sell secondhand refrigerators, previously collected from the large retail outlets.

Michael Meacher: The majority of old refrigerators are now being collected by local authorities. We would encourage small businesses to work with local authorities to identify those units suitable for re-use. Such arrangements are likely to be welcomed by local authorities as a means of reducing their costs.

Refrigerators

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the money to help local authorities with the extra costs of storing refrigerators announced on 4 December 2001 has been made available to Blackpool borough council.

Michael Meacher: £6 million has been added to the provisional local government finance settlement for 2002–03 for the costs of implementing the ozone depleting substances regulation relating to the period 1 January 2002 to 31 March 2002. This will be distributed to local authorities using Standard Spending Assessments (SSA). The extra money has been added to the upper tier sub-block of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services SSA.

Refrigerators

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from local authorities with regard to the allocation of Government resources available in order to meet the cost of implementing the refrigerator disposal regulations.

Michael Meacher: The Department has received a number of representations from local authorities concerning the allocation of funding for the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000. We have received representations through letters, e-mail and telephone calls. Officials are maintaining a close dialogue with local authority representatives with a view to obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the additional costs which local authorities face.

Refrigerators

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from the Environment Agency concerning the arrangements for the storage and disposal of refrigerators in advance of the development of purpose- built infrastructure in the UK.

Michael Meacher: The Department has worked very closely with the Environment Agency on the development of guidance on the storage and disposal of fridges. There continues to be close co-operation on the finalisation of technical standards and new fridges recycling facilities and, more generally on the implementation and enforcement of the European Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation.

Regulatory Impact Assessments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many regulatory impact assessments have been produced by her Department since August 2001; and if she will list those produced (a) following initial consultation with affected parties about the most appropriate methodology for assessing costs and other impacts and (b) which set out full commercial impacts, including profitability, employment, consumer prices and competitiveness, as recommended in good policy making.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 483W.

Stolen Equipment

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what equipment has been stolen from her Department since 1 May 1997; and what the approximate value of each item was.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Department's records show that the following items have been stolen since 1 May 1997. Data from 8 June 2001 relate to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs while previous information covers Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
	
		
			 Date Number Items stolen Cost (£) 
		
		
			 1997
			 2 May 1 Laboratory equipment 250 
			 3 May 20 PC 39,500 
			 6 May 1 PC 673 
			 9 June 1 Laptop 4,000 
			 11 June 1 Calculator 10 
			 17 July 1 Camcorder and accessories 1,300 
			 1 August 2 PC 4,700 
			 11 August 1 Laptop 900 
			 9 September 1 Kitchen equipment 475 
			 9 September 1 PC 1,787 
			 24 September 1 Mobile phone charger 10 
			 30 September 1 PC 1,990 
			 2 October 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 13 October 1 Mobile phone 125 
			 
			 1998
			 12 January 2 Laptops 6,000 
			 26 January 1 Special telephone handset 80 
			 2 February 1 Video recorder 190 
			 10 June 1 Answering machine 80 
			 21 June 1 Laptop 2,500 
			 5 September 1 Laptop 3,110 
			 21 September 2 Laptops 6,000 
			 16 November 1 Answering machine 50 
			 
			 Thefts in 1999
			 1 February 1 Laptop plus zip plus mouse 2,300 
			 16 February 1 Dictaphone 50 
			 23 February 2 Central processing units 2,250 
			 26 March 2 PC plus 8 copies of software plus 2 ethernet cards 2,250 
			 14 April 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 19 April 1 Psion Organiser 350 
			 27 April 4 Power adapters with accessories 400 
			 23 July 1 Field equipment and mobile phone 70 
			 18 August 1 Laptop 1,570 
			 6 September 1 Mobile phone and accessories 100 
			 20 September 1 Laptop 2,300 
			 27 September 3 Software CDs 400 
			 28 October 1 PC plus printer 2,000 
			 15 November 1 Laptop 1,950 
			 22 November 1 Laptop 1,580 
			 20 December 1 Laptop 1,320 
			 
			 2000
			 28 January 1 Laptop 1,000 
			 13 February 1 PC plus printer 3,192 
			 27 February 1 Laptop plus floppy disk 2,765 
			 21 March 1 Psion Organiser 380 
			 28 March 1 Psion 5 MX 383 
			 5 April 1 Laptop plus mobile printer 1,000 
			 16 May 29 Processors plus 1 Toshiba laptop 5,478 
			 24 May 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 26 May 1 Laptop, printer and accessories 1,244 
			 10 June 1 Mobile phone 120 
			 7 July 3 2 PCs and 1 laptop 5,000 
			 19 July 4 Compaq processors 4,000 
			 20 July 1 PC plus modem card 1,100 
			 2 August 1 Laptop plus 1 printer plus 1 printer lead 1,820 
			 7 August 3 PCs 3,250 
			 17 August 1 Processor 500 
			 11 September 1 Laptop, mouse and connections 1,500 
			 12 October 1 Modem card 100 
			 30 October 1 Laptop 2,585 
			 20 November 1 Laptop plus 1 floppy disc and CD drive 2,660 
			 29 November 3 Compaq processors 675 
			 
			 2001
			 1 February 1 Laptop 2,998 
			 6 February 2 Laptops 3,500 
			 8 February 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 12 February 2 Laptops 4,000 
			 12 March 2 PC plus printer 2,500 
			 21 March 1 Laptop 1,500 
			 2 April 1 Laptop 2,000 
			 9 May 2 DIM chips 146 
			 20 May 1 Keyboard 96 
			 2 July 1 PC 700 
			 2 August 1 Chips 1,000 
			 16 August 1 Laptop plus 1 modem and carry case 2,000 
			 14 September 1 Laptop 1,500 
			 28 September 1 Laptop 1,500 
			 1 October 1 Laptop 1,579 
			 5 October 1 Laptop 1,579 
			 21 November 1 Laptop plus one projector 1,879 
			 19 December 2 Printers 300 
			 
			 2002
			 8 January 12 PCs 6,000

Home Energy Conservation

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of local authorities (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in Scotland are on course to achieve a 30 per cent. improvement in home energy conservation by 2010.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 15 January 2002
	As domestic energy efficiency is a devolved matter, it is the responsibility of the respective Parliament and Assemblies to comment on the situation in their countries.
	Statutory guidance issued on the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 (HECA) in England makes it clear that local authorities are expected to identify measures that will lead to "substantial progress" towards 30 per cent. improvement in energy efficiency in all residential accommodation within 10 years of April 1996, but that some authorities may feel it more appropriate to develop a strategy which covers a different time scale.
	In the four years to 31 March 2000, authorities have reported that overall their HECA strategies have achieved energy efficiency improvements of 6 per cent. Of the 354 local authorities in England with HECA responsibilities, almost 50 per cent. are reporting 6 per cent. or more improvement. Details of percentage improvement to March 2001 are not yet available but we expect to publish these shortly.
	If we assume a similar rate of progress over the next six years, ECAs might on average be expected to achieve a 15 per cent. improvement in domestic energy efficiency. However, we would expect that schemes such as Warm Front and the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2002–05 (EEC) would lead to greater improvements.
	In order to help local authorities achieve greater energy savings in the future, we are looking at the working of HECA as part of our current review of local authority energy efficiency activity.
	The Home Energy Conservation Bill 2001 would require local authorities to implement their energy conservation reports, something missing from the current legislation.

Correspondence

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Alun Michael), will reply to the letter of 18 November 2001, from Ms Anne Parker concerning the implementation of the recommendations of Task Force for the Hills;
	(2)  when the Under-Secretary, the hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley), will reply to the letter of 18 November 2001 from Ms Anne Parker concerning the implementation of the recommendations of Task Force for the Hills;
	(3)  when the Under-Secretary, Lord Whitty, will reply to the letter of 18 November 2001 from Ms Anne Parker concerning the implementation of the recommendations of Task Force for the Hills.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 January 2002
	We have no record of having received the letters referred to by the hon. Member.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 15 January, ref. 26357, if she will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in responding to the letter to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford sent to him via the Foreign Office on 12 June 2001 re Dr. Reza Hussain.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 21 January 2002; pursuant to his reply, 22 January 2001 column 779W
	the answer I gave the hon. Member on 22 January 2001, Official Report, column 779W, I said that a response to the hon. Member's constituent's letter of 12 June for West Chelmsford was sent on 18 January 2002. This was incorrect. The letter was sent out on 21 January 2002.

Livestock Markets

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she intends to issue to auctioneers concerning the reopening of livestock markets.

Elliot Morley: Detailed guidance for auctioneers covering biosecurity and other conditions relevant to the reopening of livestock markets is currently being drawn up. It will be disseminated shortly to the Livestock Auctioneers' Association and it will also be placed on the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk.

Agricultural Shows

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she intends to issue to agricultural societies concerning the resumption of local agricultural shows.

Elliot Morley: Detailed guidance for agricultural societies, covering biosecurity and other conditions relevant to the resumption of livestock shows, is currently being drawn up. It will be issued as soon as possible to the Association of Agricultural Shows and other interested organisations. It will also be placed on the DEFRA website www.defra.gov.uk.

End of Life Products

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely cost implications of Directive 200/53/EC and Regulation 2037/2700 on (a) county councils, (b) London boroughs and (c) district councils.

Michael Meacher: The End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC has far reaching consequences for a number of different economic operators. However, it is not intended that local authorities will have any direct responsibility for implementing this directive.
	The directive requires producers to be responsible for all or a significant part of the costs of take back and treatment of end of life vehicles from 2007. These arrangements should help to ease the situation for local authorities in dealing with abandoned vehicles. It has not yet been decided how take back and treatment of end of life vehicles between 2002 and 2007 will be funded.
	A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on substances that deplete the ozone layer was undertaken in December 1998. The RIA did not estimate compliance costs for the extraction of ozone-depleting substances from the insulating foam in domestic refrigeration equipment as the draft proposal did not make it mandatory. It was not until June 2001 that the European Commission gave EU member states its final interpretation of EC Regulation 2037/2700 that it did require the recovery of controlled substances in the insulating foam of domestic fridges and freezers.
	The Department recently announced a payment of £6 million to English local authorities to cover their costs of handling fridges and freezers until March 2002. We are urgently assessing the impacts of the regulation, including the costs, and will determine what further action is required beyond that.

Agricultural Waste

Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to help farmers to dispose of (a) plastic and (b) redundant wire.

Michael Meacher: We will be addressing the question of how to deal with farm plastics and other waste materials in the forthcoming consultation document on agricultural waste.

Fox Hunts

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to reassess the case for independent regulation and inspections of fox hunts; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Consideration is being given to the best way of dealing with the issue of hunting.

GMOs

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the terms of the agreement with SCIMAC setting up farm-scale evaluations of GMOs that (a) plants that have been harvested should be removed from the trial sites and (b) the sites should be subsequently ploughed, destroying any remaining roots, have been complied with.

Michael Meacher: The agreement on the Farm Scale Evaluations requires that produce from the trials should not enter the food or feed chain. It does not specify how this requirement is to be met. The specific rules that apply on crop disposal and post-harvest management are those set out in the statutory release consent (in the case of the beet and oilseed rape) and the relevant part of the SCIMAC code of practice on GM herbicide-tolerant crops. These provisions have been complied with, although there is a case currently under review to determine whether a breach of consent has occurred.

Egg Imports

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) egg products and (b) shell eggs were imported; and how many egg products were imported from the USA in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Overseas trade statistics show that the UK imports of (a) egg products and (b) shell eggs over the past three years were as follows:
	
		Thousand cases 
		
			  1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 (a) Egg products(11) 1,468.8 1,601.8 1,470.5 
			 (b) Shell eggs 610.1 707.9 1,652.2 
		
	
	(11) Converted to shell egg equivalent
	Of the (a) egg products shown in the previous table, the following were imported from the USA during the same period.
	
		Thousand cases 
		
			  1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 (a) Egg products from USA(12) 36.3 30.2 63.7 
		
	
	(12) Converted to shell egg equivalent
	Source:
	HM Customs and Excise
	Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities and Food) Accounts and Trade, ESD, DEFRA

Illegal Meat Imports

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to help local authorities to control illegal meat imports at airports (a) in the UK and (b) at Heathrow airport.

Elliot Morley: Under the relevant UK legislation which implements European rules, local authorities are responsible for checks on imports of animal products. DEFRA already provides detailed guidance and advice to them on discharging their functions at Borders Inspection Posts. We have taken steps to improve co-ordination and ensure that enforcement authorities obtain information to help target resources effectively. We have also improved publicity to bring to the attention of travellers the rules on what can be legally imported. We are examining the enforcement powers available to local authorities to ensure that they are adequate.
	We maintain close liaison with local authorities, including at Heathrow, and will continue to keep all measures under review.

Combined Heat and Power

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of changes in employment in the CHP sector in the UK in 2001.

Michael Meacher: We have no reliable estimates of reductions of employment in the CHP sector in the UK in 2001.

Social Exclusion

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the application form for each of the competitive grant schemes administered by his Department and its agencies open in each year since 1997 to organisations in the voluntary and community sector for the purposes of tackling social exclusion;
	(2)  how many competitive grant schemes administered by her Department and its agencies were open in each of the last 10 years to organisations in the voluntary and community sector for the purposes of tackling social exclusion;
	(3)  if she will list the competitive grant schemes, administered by the Department and its agencies open in each year since 1997 to organisations in the voluntary and community sector for the purposes of tackling social exclusion and, for each scheme in each year (a) the number of applicants (b) the number of successful applicants, (c) the total of grants awarded, (d) the number of pages in the application form and (e) if the grant can be used to fund the core costs of the applicant organisation;
	(4)  if she will provide a list of the grants made under the competitive grant schemes administered by her Department and its agencies open in each year since 1997 to organisations in the voluntary and community sector for the purposes of tackling social exclusion;
	(5)  what estimate has been made of the administrative cost to (a) the state, (b) unsuccessful applicants and (c) successful applicants of the competitive grant schemes, provided by her Department and its agencies open in each year since 1997 to organisations in the voluntary and community sector for the purposes of tackling social exclusion.

Alun Michael: holding answer 12 December 2001
	The information is not available in the form requested, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, having regard in particular to the recent creation of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Under- Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle) on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 482W. The website http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office. co.uk/cmhansrd/pa/cm200102/ cm011219/text/11219w47. htm#11219w47.htm–spnew5 contains references to the available information on Government grants to voluntary organisations.

North Sea Conference

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the dates are for the forthcoming second North Sea Conference; where the conference will be held; what intergovernmental preparatory meetings have been held; what non- governmental organisations have been consulted in preparation; and if she will place in the Library copies of papers and documents that (a) will be submitted to the North Sea Ministerial Conference, and (b) constitute background material for the conference.

Michael Meacher: The fifth conference of Ministers responsible for the protection of the environment of the North sea will be held in Bergen, Norway on 20 and 21 March. The Committee of North Sea Senior Officials has met a number of times to prepare for the conference, most recently in September 2001 and January 2002. A further meeting will be held next month. The meetings are attended by Government representatives, intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations with observer status.
	22 NGOs have observer status: the Baltic and Maritime Council, Birdlife International, Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the EU, European Anglers Alliance, European Bureau of Conservation and Development, European Chemical Industries Council, European Community Sea Ports Organisation, European Waste Water Group, European Water Association, Europeche, Greenpeace International, High North Alliance, International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, International Chamber of Shipping, International Fishmeal and Oil Manufacturers Association, International Transport Workers' Federation, Local Authorities International Environmental Organisation, Nordic Fishermen's Council, Seas at Risk, Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe, World Nuclear Association, and World Wide Fund for Nature.
	The substantive background document which will be presented to the conference is a comprehensive progress report, reviewing action taken and progress achieved since the last conference. This is currently being finalised by the Secretariat in Oslo. I will place copies in the Library when it is published. The conference is likely to adopt a declaration, defining action for the future. I will place a copy in the Library.

Organophosphate Pesticides

Paul Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 27 April 1998, Official Report, column 30W, on organophosphate pesticides, what report has been received on the research study by CBD Porton Down into the dose effect profiles for OP sheep dips on brain electrical activity and sensitive behaviour indices in non-human primates; and if she will make a statement on her Department's response to that study.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The project was delayed in starting and as a result the completion was rescheduled for late summer 2002.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of reduced Countryside Stewardship scheme payment levels on the take-up of the scheme by farmers and landowners; and (a) how many participants there are and (b) what are the payments made by her Department in each of the years in which the Countryside Stewardship Scheme has been in operation.

Elliot Morley: Changes to Countryside Stewardship scheme payment rates were last implemented in 2001. Following a payment review, only five payments were reduced while the remaining 134 were either maintained or slightly increased. Overall, the net effect was estimated to be an increase of about 2 per cent. in total payments.
	The continuing demand for the scheme, with nearly 3,000 applications last year, indicates that the current level of payment is generally acceptable.
	By the end of the 2001–02 scheme year, there will be around 14,000 Stewardship agreement holders and we are looking for a further 3,000 applications for the 2002–03 scheme year.
	The total payments made to farmers in each of years since 1991, when the scheme was introduced by the then Countryside Commission, are as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Annual expenditure 
		
		
			 1992–93 5.3 
			 1993–94 8.5 
			 1994–95 10.5 
			 1995–96 11.6 
			 1996–97 10.9 
			 1997–98 15.7 
			 1998–99 19.9 
			 1999–2000 23.4 
			 2000–01 28.9 
			 2001–02 47.3 
			  
			 Total expenditure 1992–2002 182.0

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the operation of the Countryside Stewardship scheme; and whether it is her Department's policy to reduce Countryside Stewardship scheme payment levels directly in line with declining farm incomes.

Elliot Morley: Countryside Stewardship payment rates are reviewed regularly. In line with EU rules, the rates take account of any income lost in undertaking Stewardship options, together with any additional costs incurred, such as specialised management or extra capital works and, where necessary, a small incentive element of up to 20 per cent.
	When we carried out our latest review of payment rates we found that, because of the severe decline in farm incomes since the previous review, a few of the current rates exceeded the actual loss of income involved in participating in the scheme. Although a small number of rates were adjusted downwards to reflect this, the great majority of payment rates were either maintained or increased and overall the net effect was estimated to be an increase of about 2 per cent. in total payments. This shows the efforts that we have made to protect payment rates from external economic circumstances.

Nitrate Pollution

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on (a) the environmental harm caused by nitrate levels in the land phase of the hydrological cycle and (b) the source of the research upon which the theory is based.

Michael Meacher: Nitrates in soil can leach into water. High nitrate levels in water contribute to eutrophication and reduce biodiversity. A risk assessment of such environmental harm is contained in a Regulatory Impact Assessment annexed to the Department's current consultation document "How should England implement the 1991 Nitrates Directive?" published on 20 December 2001.
	A report by WRc to DETR in 1999 entitled "Diffuse pollution: sources of N and P" explains the scientific processes and extent of environmental harm and contains an extensive reference list. Copies of this report are available from the Foundation for Water Research.

Nitrate Pollution

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of research evidence showing that (a) the process of denitrification includes the addition of phosphate and (b) phosphate is the cause of eutrophication in saline water.

Michael Meacher: The research evidence suggests phosphate is not a significant influence on denitrification, though there are circumstances where phosphate limited plant growth can influence the capacity for denitrification to occur or where the anaerobic conditions required for denitrification also lead to the mobilisation of phosphorus from sediments.
	The research evidence shows that for marine waters generally the growth of algae is limited by the amount of nitrogen available (rather than the amount of phosphorus), so eutrophication can result if there is an increase in nitrogen. The position in estuaries or transitional waters may be more complex, and in a few places the availability of phosphorus may be the limiting factor.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Lord Birt

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes to policy have resulted from Lord Birt's work on crime.

David Blunkett: holding answer 22 January 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 17 January 2002, Official Report, column 469W.

Private Prisons

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason private prisons are not required to submit (a) sickness and (b) minority ethnic staff data.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Her Majesty's Prison Service collects data on sickness levels and ethnic identity on its own employees. These details are not collected in respect of staff employed at private sector prisons as a matter of course because personnel issues are the concern of the contractors and such information is therefore not contractually required. The information is however, made available on request.

MI5 Records

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason the request by the Advisory Council on Public Records to be allowed to consider the conditions under which MI5 records are released was refused; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: holding answer 22 January 2002
	In July 1998, my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary, invited the Advisory Council on Public records to review the criteria employed by the Security Service to select files for permanent preservation on grounds of historical interest. During the course of the review the chairman of the Council, Lord Justice Woolf, wrote to the Home Secretary to ask whether he wished to extend the terms of reference to encompass issues relating to access to Security Service records.
	The intelligence services and the Interception Commissioners and Investigatory Powers Tribunal have full access to all service records necessary for their functions and therefore the Home Secretary replied that he was not contemplating changing the arrangements to widen access beyond this "need to know" approach. This was recognised in Lord Justice Woolf's report. However, the Home Secretary did agree that officials of the Public Records Office, with the necessary security clearance, should be invited by the Security Service to examine files earmarked for destruction after review by the service. This now happens.
	The Advisory Council reported in December 1998 and the report was placed in Library on 3 February 1999. At the same time the then Home Secretary announced that he was accepting in full the recommendations of the committee. All of these have now been implemented.

Saville Inquiry

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs have been incurred by his Department to date in connection with the Saville inquiry; and what his estimate is of the final cost to his Department.

David Blunkett: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Home Office has responsibility for the protective security arrangements for public figures, for which some costs have been incurred in relation to this inquiry. It is not our policy to comment on the details of protection arrangements for individuals, as to do so could compromise their security.
	The Home Office has no other direct involvement in the Bloody Sunday inquiry and does not employ staff full-time on inquiry related work. Some small administrative costs have been incurred.

Market and Opinion Research

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what record his Department keeps of the expenditure of his Department on (a) polling exercises and (b) focus groups.

David Blunkett: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Department conducts or commissions market or opinion research only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme, and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose.
	Detailed breakdowns of costs and analysis by types of research, such as polling exercises and focus groups, are not held centrally or captured by the Department's accounting systems. Data are recorded under broad expenditure headings, further disaggregation would be possible only at disproportionate cost.

Magistrates Court

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made towards the provision of a witness service in every magistrates court by March.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The Magistrates Court Witness Service is being established and run by the organisation Victim Support, with funding from the Home Office. As at 14 January 2002, witness services had been established in 220 (58 per cent.) of the 382 magistrates courts in England and Wales. Victim Support advise that the process of recruiting staff and volunteers for the remaining 162 courts is in progress, and that they are hopeful of meeting the target of establishing witness support services in all magistrates courts by 31 March 2002.

Victims of Crime

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of the duty on the Probation Service to keep victims of serious violent and sexual crimes informed of the offender's release.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Under the new statutory duty, local Probation Boards are required to consult and notify victims about release arrangements of offenders serving a sentence of 12 months or more for a sexual or violent offence. We expect approximately 3,500 more victims of serious crimes each year will be informed of an offender's release under these arrangements. There are currently no figures collected centrally on the actual numbers of victims notified of offenders' release arrangements since the legislation came into force on 1 April 2001.

Victims of Crime

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of prosecutions the victim chose to make a personal statement to the court in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Bradley: holding answer 22 January 2002
	I understand from the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Court Service that information of this nature is not collated.

Asylum Support

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers received advice or assistance from each of the reception assistance agencies in relation to their application to the National Asylum Support Service in (a) 2000–01 and (b) the current financial year to date.

Angela Eagle: Voluntary sector agencies are grant funded by the Home Office to assist asylum seekers who need to make an application for support. The number of asylum seekers assisted by reception assistants from individual agencies is as follows:
	
		
			   3 April 2000 to 31 March 2001(13) 1 April 2001 to 31 December 2001(14) 
		
		
			 Refugee Council 17,373 19,391 
			 Migrant Helpline 12,894 8,845 
			 Refugee Arrivals Project 5,554 4,337 
			 Refugee Action 2,717 2,456 
			 Scottish Refugee Council 504 425 
			 Welsh Refugee Council 150 164 
			  
			 Total 39,192 35,618 
		
	
	(13) based on information provided by the voluntary sector agencies
	(14) provisional

Asylum Support

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a breakdown of the amount of grant made to each of the reception assistance agencies by the National Asylum Support Service under section 111 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in (a) 2000–01 and (b) the current financial year to date.

Angela Eagle: The level of grant paid by the Home Office to the voluntary sector organisations is as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			   2000–01(15),(17) 2001–02(16),(17) 
		
		
			 Refugee Council 7,934,000 10,038,000 
			 Refugee Action 2,290,000 3,246,000 
			 Migrant Helpline 2,094,000 2,587,000 
			 Refugee Arrivals Project 1,913,000 1,971,000 
			 Scottish Refugee Council 595,000 743,000 
			 Welsh Refugee Council 343,000 200,000 
		
	
	(15) Information based on outturn figure.
	(16) Information based on estimate of outturn figure.
	(17) Excludes payments for provision of emergency accommodation.

Asylum Support

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost was of providing (a) accommodation and (b) emergency accommodation under the National Asylum Support Service-run asylum support system in (i) 2000–01 and (ii) in the current financial year to date.

Angela Eagle: The total cost of (a) accommodation paid for directly under contract by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) for (i) 2000–01 was £54.1 million and for (ii) current year to 30 November £150.1 million, and (b) emergency accommodation for (i) 2000–01 was £27.5 million and for (ii) current year to 30 November £38.2 million.
	These figures reflect the increased activity undertaken by the NASS since it began operation on the 3 April 2000.
	Costs in 2000–01 are cash based and for current year resource based. All figures are rounded to nearest £0.1 million.

Republic of Ireland

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) contacts and (b) exchanges have been organised with relevant authorities in the Republic of Ireland at which issues of (a) racism and racist attacks, (b) immigration and (c) asylum seekers have been discussed; and what agreement was reached on further co-operation.

Angela Eagle: On the issues of racism and racist attacks, the Government have frequent informal contacts with European Union (EU) representatives, including the Republic of Ireland, at international fora such as the recent World Conference Against Racism. Information on racist incidents is one of the issues discussed at the European Union Terrorism working Group, which normally meets six times a year.
	The Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate hold biennial bilateral meetings with the relevant authorities in the Republic of Ireland (Asylum, Immigration and Citizenship Division, Asylum Policy Division, Immigration Policy Division, Reception and Integration Agency) on issues of concern to both countries in relation to immigration and asylum. These are held for the purpose of exchanging experience and providing an update regarding recent and prospective developments.
	The United Kingdom immigration service holds regular operational meetings with the Republic of Ireland's Department of Justice and Garda Siochana (Irish police) in order to develop closer co-operation on asylum and immigration matters, including Common Travel area issues. The primary aims of the operational group are to enhance operational co-operations, improve the exchange of information on asylum seekers to prevent abuse, to deal more effectively with human smuggling and trafficking and to explore the scope for additional co-operation on the removal of failed asylum seekers to third countries via the United Kingdom.
	In addition, the Irish Government have appointed a Garda liaison officer to the Irish Embassy in London who is tasked with taking forward cross border and intelligence liaison between the two countries in order to counter immigration trafficking.

Su Jin Park

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the handling by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate at Croydon of mail sent by recorded delivery on 26 November by Su Jin Park.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 22 January 2002
	Su Jin Park's application was posted to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) Public Enquiry Office in Birmingham. They forwarded it to IND in Croydon on 28 November 2001. Of late, it has been taking up to eight weeks to consider new applications. The reasons for this are (i) the exceptionally high number of applications received in 2001; and (ii) process changes that are being introduced. I regret that it was not possible to decide Miss Park's application before her planned departure from the United Kingdom but am pleased that she was able to travel as a result of obtaining an emergency travel document from the Korean Embassy. Her passport will now be returned to the Embassy.

Sentenced Persons Transfer Convention

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the targets are for the efficient and effective operation of the Convention for the Transfer of Sentenced Persons; how these performance indicators were constructed; and how far the operation of procedures has matched these targets in each year since its coming into force.

Beverley Hughes: The Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons sets no targets for the consideration of applications for repatriation. Since January 2001, Her Majesty's Prison Service has set and applied the following targets to those parts of the process that lie within its control. These targets were constructed to take account of the need to obtain information from agencies outside the Prison Service in support of individual applications.
	Applications from foreign nationals imprisoned in England and Wales:
	(a) From receipt of the prisoner's application to referral to the receiving jurisdiction: 12 weeks.
	During this period the caseworker will obtain and collate the documentation necessary to consider the application, including court documentation, police or customs reports, information on previous convictions, and prison reports. Any translations needed for non-English speaking countries will be done at this stage.
	(b) From the receipt of the response from the receiving jurisdiction to the final determination of the request by the Prison Service: 12 weeks.
	During this period the information provided by the receiving jurisdiction is assessed, in particular on the enforcement of the sentence to determine if repatriation can proceed. If both jurisdictions are content to proceed the consent of the prisoner must be obtained to the terms and conditions of the transfer.
	Applications from British nationals imprisoned overseas:
	(c) Consideration of applications submitted by another jurisdiction: 12 weeks.
	During this period checks are made with the Metropolitan police to determine whether the prisoner has any outstanding charges in the United Kingdom; with the Home Office to check that the offence committed by the prisoner is an offence under UK law and that the sentence does not exceed the maximum available under British law for the same offence; and with the United Kingdom Passport Office to determine whether the prisoner concerned is a British national.
	Once this information has been received a response is prepared and sent to the sentencing jurisdiction. This includes detailed information about the administration of sentence following repatriation, and other information required by the convention.
	(d) Collection of the prisoner from overseas following receipt of written consent from the sentencing jurisdiction and the prisoner: four weeks.
	During the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001, the following targets were met: Applications from foreign nationals imprisoned in England and Wales, target (a) 58 per cent. and target (b) 91 per cent. Applications from British nationals imprisoned overseas, target (c) 67 per cent. and target (d) 100 per cent.

At-risk Prisoners

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special arrangements the Prison service makes over the Christmas and new year period to (a) prevent suicides, (b) prevent self-harm and (c) increase observation of at-risk prisoners.

Beverley Hughes: The last two weeks of any year is a difficult time for most prisoners and particularly harrowing for those with suicidal thoughts. Staff are reminded of the enhanced dangers and to ensure that anti-suicide policies and procedures are firmly adhered to. There were four self-inflicted deaths in late 2001 but the overall total for the year was reduced by 11 per cent. for the second year running and the rate per 100,000 of average daily population was the lowest since 1993.
	Prisons go to great lengths at Christmas and the new year to make establishments as pleasant and relaxed as possible in the prison environment. Specific arrangements will vary between prisons depending on local circumstances and available staffing levels, for example, allowing all prisoners one call on Christmas day to contact their family.

Lost/stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those items valued at more than £50 which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years.

Angela Eagle: A list of items stolen or lost from the Home Department in the last four years and approximate value of each item stolen is provided in the following tables.
	
		Analysis of the items of reported theft 1997–98
		
			 Description Value (£) 
		
		
			 Laptop computer 6,000 
			 Laptop computer 3,000 
			 Laptop computer 3,000 
			 Laptop computer 3,000 
			 Laptop computer 3,000 
			 Laptop computer 2,000 
			 Laptop computer 2,000 
			 Laptop computer 1,500 
			 Laptop computer 1,500 
			 Personal computer 1,550 
			 Personal computer 1,005 
			 Personal computer 434 
			 Computer printer 1,593 
			 Computer printer 329 
			 Computer monitor 500 
			 Computer mother board 150 
			 Fax modem 130 
			 Mobile phone 118 
			 Video camera 1,500 
			 Video camera 800 
			 Video 300 
			 Tools 500 
			 Tools 131 
			 Field gates 240 
			 Pressure washer 3,317 
			 Armoured cable 200 
			  
			 Total value of 26 cases of theft 37,797 
		
	
	
		Analysis of cases of reported theft 1998–99
		
			 Description Value (£) 
		
		
			 VCR taken from classroom—HMP 98 
			 Missing video recorded and four blank videos HMP 106 
			 Theft of laptop containing inmate records during course— HMP 69 
			 Loss of computer discs and equipment—HMP 800 
			 Loss of computer discs from Education Department— HMP 992 
			 Break-in at FSS outstation 3,150 
			 Missing IT equipment—HMP 33,773 
			 Theft of various computer items after break-in at Salford—DPAS Not known 
			 Handheld computer stolen from car—HMP 400 
			 Theft of laptops from storeroom—HMP 20,421 
			 Theft of hired video recorder—HMP 80 
			 Theft of Camcorder—HMP 399 
			  
			 Total value of 12 Cases of theft 60,288 
		
	
	
		Analysis of cases of reported theft 1999–2000
		
			 Description Value (£) 
		
		
			 Computer keyboard stolen from office in QAG 80 
			 Theft of computer equipment from Grenadier House 16,500 
			 Quest House—theft of 25 PCs, servers and equipment 110,000 
			 Quest House—theft of components from Sun Server 74,000 
			  
			 Total value of four cases of theft 200,580 
		
	
	
		Analysis of 25 cases of reported theft 2000–01
		
			 Description Value (£) 
		
		
			 Theft of seven laptops 31,000 
			 Theft of IT equipment 100 
			 Theft of two Home Office computers from ICL premises 6,000 
			 Theft of computer parts 4,000 
			 Laptop and projector stolen on Away Day 8,000 
			 Video player stolen from locked room 100 
			 Theft of modem linking franking machine to supplier 180 
			 Eternet card discovered to be missing from laptop PC 80 
			 Laptop stolen in house burglary 1,200 
			 HMPS—Laptop computer unlocatable 1,000 
			 HMPS—Laptop computer taken from locked cabinet 229 
			 HMPS—Theft of pressure washer 125 
			 HMPS—Dictation machine gone missing 377 
			 HMPS—Theft of laptop computer (mugging) 2,000 
			 HMPS—Bicycle stolen from outside prisoner's place of work 89 
			 HMPS—A Hewlett-Packard Laser Jet printer stolen 1,085 
			 HMPS—Theft of laptop, printer and mobile phone 73 
			 HMPS—Theft of two Video Cassettes 128 
			 HMPS—Theft of Industrial Hoover 200 
			 HMPS—Prison Service employee house burgled—Computer and printer stolen 2,650 
			 HMPS—Prison Service issue laptop stolen from boot of car 1,000 
			 HMPS—Training and Development Unit burgled 5,000 
			 HMPS—Theft of portable generator 340 
			 HMFSI—Disappearance of four laptops from locked room 9,000 
			  
			 Total value of 24 cases of theft 73,956

Family Visitor Appeals

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the net income was from fees for family visitor appeals during the first year of operation of the charging policy.

Angela Eagle: The net income from fees for family visitor appeals in the first year of the scheme was £104,000.

Family Visitor Appeals

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of collecting and refunding fees for family visitor appeals was during the first year of operation of the charging policy.

Angela Eagle: Most of the costs of collecting and refunding the fees are staff costs. Many individuals are involved, including those at diplomatic posts overseas, but there are few who spend a significant proportion of their time on these tasks. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the information requested by the my hon. Friend except at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners (Drugs)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) male and (b) female prison inmates have been charged with possession of illegal drugs in each of the last three years.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of prisoners charged is not collated centrally. Numbers of prisoners found guilty at adjudication of possessing a controlled drug are given in the table.
	
		
			   1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Males 2,551 2,185 1,781 
			 Females 51 106 52 
			  
			 Total 2,602 2,291 1,833

Child Asylum Seekers

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent measures have been taken to deal with unaccompanied children seeking asylum.

Angela Eagle: We are committed to offering protection and appropriate levels of care to unaccompanied minors who claim asylum in the United Kingdom. To achieve this we work closely with the Department of Health, local authorities and non-governmental organisations.
	With regard to recent measures I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Wigan, (Mr. Turner) on 8 November 2001, Official Report, column 386W.

Child Asylum Seekers

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unaccompanied children have sought asylum in each year since 1996.

Angela Eagle: The information requested has been provided in the table.
	
		Unaccompanied(18),(19),(20) children, aged 17 or under, applying for asylum to the United Kingdom, 1996 to 2000
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000(21) 
		
		
			 Total applications 631 1,102 3,037 3,349 2,733 
		
	
	(18) Unaccompanied at the point of their arrival, and not known to be joining a close relative in the United Kingdom.
	(19) May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000
	(20) Figures exclude disputed age cases.
	(21) Provisional figures.
	Information on unaccompanied minors is published annually in the statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library; and from the Research, Development and Statistics (RDS) website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigration1.html.

Terrorism-related Allegations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with foreign Governments over the activities of Bachir Aouni; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: None. Mr. Aouni is held in custody pursuant to a request from Italy for his extradition.

Terrorism-related Allegations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will investigate the links between Alam Moussa (aka Louis Szondy) and Sakina Security Services; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will investigate the links between Bachir Aouni, currently serving a prison sentence in respect of fraud, and a north London mosque; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will investigate the links between Bachir Aouni and GIA; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: The police continue a range of investigations into terrorist-related allegations, and I discuss their action with them on a regular basis. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases, and anyone who has information they believe to be relevant should pass it on to the police.

Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses

Bill Rammell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to implement the special measures for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses recommended in the "Speaking up for Justice" report.

Keith Bradley: The "Speaking up for Justice" report on vulnerable or intimidated witnesses in the criminal justice system published in 1998 proposed a range of special measures available for use at the trial including:
	video-recorded statements to replace the evidence-in-chief
	video-recorded pre-trial cross-examination
	live TV links
	screens around the witnesses box so that the witness does not need to face the defendant in court
	removal of wigs and gowns
	assistance with communication if necessary, including the use of an intermediary; and
	power for the judge to clear the public gallery in cases involving sexual offences or intimidation so the witness can give evidence in private.
	The measures requiring legislation were included in Part II of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.
	Implementation of the special measures will be phased as we have an opportunity to see how they are working.
	The implementation in the Crown court will take place six months from today to allow a lead-in for the agencies to conduct training and preparation. All the special measures will be implemented for vulnerable witnesses, with the exception of intermediaries and pre-trial cross-examination which will be subject to pilot projects. The same measures, with the added exception of video-recorded statements, will be implemented at the same time for intimidated witnesses.
	All other measures will be introduced in 2003–04 for all qualifying witnesses.
	In magistrates courts implementation of special measures in July 2002 will be restricted to TV links and video recorded evidence for child witnesses in cases involving sexual offences, violence (including threats) and cruelty. This would provide protection for children in cases involving assaults, muggings and domestic violence. It would also bring the adult magistrates courts into line with the current provision in the Youth court.
	Most of the measures will be extended to magistrates courts by 2003–04 (after their evaluation in the Crown court) to bring them in line with the Crown court.
	A whole range of guidance and training materials for the criminal justice agencies are being published tomorrow including:
	Recognising Capability—a training programme for those in the criminal justice system working with vulnerable or intimidated witnesses
	Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on vulnerable or intimidated witnesses including children
	Vulnerable Witnesses: A Police Service Guide
	Adult pre-trial therapy
	Early Special Measures Meeting between the Police and Crown Prosecution Service and Meetings between the Crown Prosecution Service and Vulnerable and Intimidated Witnesses: Practice.
	Copies of these publications will be placed in the Library.
	Over the next couple of years we will also be starting pilot projects on video-recorded pre-trial cross- examination and the use of intermediaries.

Council Tax (Police Costs)

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost per head of the police element of the council tax.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	In England, the average police authority council tax for 2001–02 is approximately £26 per head of population. This includes council tax that is met by council tax benefit. This excludes the City of London, for which the council tax for police services cannot be separately identified.

HEALTH

Cancelled Operations

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many operations were postponed in each of the last five years by hospital authorities; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will rank each hospital in England by the number of postponed operations as a proportion of total operations, giving the relevant number for each hospital.

John Hutton: We are committed to achieving the NHS Plan targets for improving performance on cancelled operations.
	From April 2002, when a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice.
	To ensure that this target is achieved, we have established a Theatre project, to develop good practice in operating theatres and ensure that this is spread throughout the national health service. This will improve the patient and carer experience; improve employee satisfaction and morale; optimise theatre utilisation, planning and scheduling; and reduce cancelled operations.
	In addition, as part of the Government's £100 million strategy to reduce long waits in accident and emergency a 100 million programme of investment was announced. This will contribute to a drive to reduce hospital bed occupancy rates by purchasing additional operations in the private sector. This, alongside continued growth in general and acute hospital beds, will free up capacity in the NHS for emergency patients, help to eliminate long trolley waits and dramatically reduce—by up to 75 per cent.—the number of planned operations cancelled at the last minute.
	The number of operations cancelled by hospitals, for non-clinical reasons in England, from 1996–97 to 2000–01 are given in the table.
	
		
			 Year Number of cancelled operations in year 
		
		
			 1996–97 52,047 
			 1997–98 50,505 
			 1998–99 56,150 
			 1999–2000 60,242 
			 2000–01 77,818 
		
	
	Note:
	Information collected by the Department of Health are numbers of operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons on the day of admission, or on the day of the operation.
	Source:
	Department of Health Patients Charter returns
	The number and proportion of operations cancelled for non clinical reasons on the day of admission, or on the day of operation are given in the table.
	The data supplied are for the latest available full year at health authority level. Trust level data have only been collected on a shadow basis since Quarter 1, 2001–02 and it is unclear how robust this is at this level at present. Also, when measuring relative performance, it is better to measure over a whole year, rather than a single quarter.
	
		Cancelled operations for non clinical reasons, health authorities in England, 2000–01
		
			  Region  Health authority Number of operations cancelled Number of elective FFCEs 
		
		
			 England  77,818 5,294,362 
			 South East Oxfordshire HA 2,221 46,605 
			 London Camden and Islington HA 1,612 34,281 
			 London Barking and Havering HA 1,984 45,169 
			 North West Manchester Health 2,330 53,983 
			 London Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 1,349 33,477 
			 South East Buckinghamshire HA 2,082 53,557 
			 South East Isle of Wight health authority 412 10,940 
			 South West Avon Health 3,544 109,329 
			 London East London and The City HA 1,787 55,481 
			 South East West Surrey Health Commission 1,705 58,500 
			 North West Morecambe Bay HA 803 27,893 
			 West Midlands Coventry Health 759 27,051 
			 West Midlands Birmingham HA 2,633 95,257 
			 Northern and Yorks Newcastle and North Tyneside HA 1,661 62,256 
			 South East Berkshire HA 1,840 70,902 
			 London Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth HA 1,466 57,234 
			 London Redbridge and Waltham Forest HA 1,038 41,173 
			 Trent Sheffield Health 1,398 63,312 
			 Northern and Yorks Wakefield HA 966 44,929 
			 Northern and Yorks North Cumbria HA 767 36,658 
			 Eastern South Essex HA 1,299 62,700 
			 London Brent and Harrow HA 924 45,050 
			 Eastern Cambridgeshire HA 1,467 71,878 
			 South East Southampton and South West Hampshire HA 1,154 56,744 
			 West Midlands Herefordshire HA 356 17,874 
			 South East East Sussex, Brighton and Hove HA 1,426 74,472 
			 North West St. Helen's and Knowsley HA 808 42,287 
			 London Bromley Health 615 32,294 
			 London Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA 1,339 72,930 
			 North West South Cheshire HA 1,165 65,410 
			 London Hillingdon HA 390 22,314 
			 Eastern North Essex HA 1,246 73,330 
			 South West South and West Devon HA 1,199 75,509 
			 North West Wigan and Bolton HA 1,032 65,140 
			 London Croydon HA 430 29,115 
			 London Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow HA 953 65,954 
			 Eastern Bedfordshire HA 694 48,050 
			 West Midlands North Staffordshire HA 766 53,096 
			 South West Wiltshire HA 790 56,159 
			 Northern and Yorks Tees HA 998 71,489 
			 North West Sefton HA 479 35,247 
			 Eastern Suffolk Health 955 70,600 
			 London Barnet HA 380 28,289 
			 London Enfield and Haringey HA 592 44,446 
			 North West North Cheshire 464 36,014 
			 North West Stockport HA 404 31,938 
			 South East East Kent HA 785 62,601 
			 South East West Kent HA 1,027 82,201 
			 South East East Surrey HA 436 36,748 
			 West Midlands Dudley HA 360 31,192 
			 North West South Lancashire HA 426 37,544 
			 North West West Pennine HA 609 54,518 
			 South East Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA 599 54,445 
			 Northern and Yorks Calderdale and Kirklees HA 744 68,558 
			 South West North and East Devon HA 728 68,201 
			 South East West Sussex HA 777 73,713 
			 South West Gloucestershire Health 669 63,844 
			 Trent Leicester HA 987 98,558 
			 North West Liverpool HA 571 57,304 
			 Eastern East and North Hertfordshire HA 490 50,395 
			 North West Salford and Trafford HA 507 52,744 
			 London Kingston and Richmond HA 277 29,046 
			 Northern and Yorks North Yorkshire HA 791 85,967 
			 Eastern Norfolk HA 824 91,868 
			 North West East Lancashire HA 579 64,553 
			 South East Northamptonshire HA 489 56,267 
			 Eastern West Hertfordshire HA 425 49,189 
			 North West North West Lancashire HA 492 56,948 
			 Trent North Nottinghamshire Health 360 42,899 
			 South West Somerset HA 510 61,908 
			 Trent North Derbyshire Health 339 41,266 
			 South West Dorset HA 877 107,048 
			 West Midlands South Staffordshire HA 516 63,007 
			 Trent Doncaster HA 344 42,050 
			 South East North and Mid Hampshire HA 422 51,813 
			 Northern and Yorks Leeds HA 602 76,594 
			 London Bexley and Greenwich HA 320 41,486 
			 Trent Nottingham HA 501 65,289 
			 South West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HA 464 66,340 
			 Trent Lincolnshire Health 508 73,846 
			 Trent South Humber 292 42,831 
			 West Midlands Worcestershire HA 337 51,010 
			 Northern and Yorks Bradford HA 451 68,547 
			 North West Wirral Health 223 33,958 
			 West Midlands Shropshire HA 285 44,946 
			 West Midlands Walsall HA 149 25,046 
			 Trent Rotherham HA 159 27,569 
			 Northern and Yorks Sunderland HA 206 35,723 
			 West Midlands Sandwell HA 181 34,708 
			 West Midlands Warwickshire HA 278 55,312 
			 Northern and Yorks East Riding HA 323 66,467 
			 Northern and Yorks Gateshead and South Tyneside HA 200 50,945 
			 Northern and Yorks County Durham HA 265 72,516 
			 West Midlands Wolverhampton HA 85 24,085 
			 Trent Southern Derbyshire Health 231 72,049 
			 Trent Barnsley HA 37 31,364 
			 Northern and Yorks Northumberland HA 48 53,177 
			 North West Bury and Rochdale HA 31 48,197 
			 West Midlands (22)Solihull HA 0 19,676 
		
	
	(22) Solihull does not have any acute trusts.
	Notes:
	1. Information collected by the Department of Health are numbers of operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons on the day of admission, or on the day of the operation.
	2. Activity figures are elective first finished consultant episodes (FFCEs).
	3. Figures are trust level aggregated to host health authority.
	Sources:
	Department of Health Patients Charter returns
	Department of Health Hospital Episode Statistics

Child Illnesses

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school-age children suffered from (a) chronic illness, (b) asthma and (c) cancer in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Data on the number of chronically ill children are not collected, but it is estimated that approximately one in three of the population suffers from one or more of a wide range of chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy and asthma.
	There are no comprehensive data on the number of people with asthma but it is estimated to affect 4 to 6 per cent. of children sufficiently severely to require medical supervision. The table shows hospital admissions for patients aged five to 14 years. The table does not show actual incidence of asthma—some patients may be admitted more than once and many sufferers may never need hospital admission.
	
		Admissions for patients aged five to 14 years in national health service hospitals, England—completed episodes with primary diagnosis asthma J45-J46 (ICD10)
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 2000–01 11,147 
			 1999–2000 11,703 
			 1998–99 11,896 
			 1997–98 12,885 
			 1996–97 12,471 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Ordinary admissions and day cases combined.
	2. Figures for 1996–97 to 1997–98 have been grossed for coverage and for unknown or invalid clinical data; figures for 1998–99 onwards have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health
	The table shows numbers of cancer cases registered by age and year of diagnosis.
	
		Cancer diagnosed in children aged five to 14 years in England, -- 1995–99
		
			 Year Total 
		
		
			 1995 717 
			 1996 629 
			 1997 648 
			 1998 605 
			 1999 621 
		
	
	Source:
	National Registry of Childhood Tumours, University of Oxford Department of Paediatrics

Baby Food

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the protection of the EU directive on pesticide residue levels in baby food.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 13 December 2001
	Legislation implementing the European Union directive and setting tough low maximum limits for pesticides in infant formula and processed baby foods comes into force in July 2002. Where food is made for babies in the home, pesticide residues in the ingredients are subject to rigorous controls on pesticide use which take into account the sensitivity of all age groups.

NHS Spending

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the level of NHS spending as a share of gross domestic product for each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; what comparable figures he has for the average of European Union countries; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 13 December 2001
	The United Kingdom gross cash national health service expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) is set out in the table. The figures for 2001–02 onwards are for planned expenditure.
	
		NHS Expenditure as a percentage of GDP
		
			  UK 
		
		
			 1990–91 5.2 
			 1991–92 5.6 
			 1992–93 5.9 
			 1993–94 5.8 
			 1994–95 5.9 
			 1995–96 5.8 
			 1996–97 5.7 
			 1997–98 5.6 
			 1998–99 5.6 
			 1999–2000 5.8 
			 2000–01 6.1 
			 2001–02 6.3 
			 2002–03 6.5 
			 2003–04 6.6 
		
	
	The only source of comparable data is published by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. These data exist only for calendar years, and the latest complete set of data is for 1998. The average public expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product for all European Union countries is as follows:
	
		Public expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP
		
			  EU average public expenditure 
		
		
			 1990 (23)5.8 
			 1991 (23)6.0 
			 1992 (23)6.1 
			 1993 (23)6.2 
			 1994 (23)6.1 
			 1995 6.1 
			 1996 6.1 
			 1997 6.0 
			 1998 5.9 
		
	
	(23) There are no data for Belgium in these years
	Source:
	OECD Health Data 2001
	Assuming private spending remains at its current level of around 1 per cent. of GDP, total United Kingdom health care expenditure will reach around 7.6 per cent. by 2003–04. This will be a significant step towards reaching the European Union average, which (again, including private spending—around 2 per cent. on average in the EU) has remained around 7.9 to 8 per cent. in recent years.

NHS Spending

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage of the GNP of the UK that has been spent on the NHS in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: The amount of health care expenditure by the national health service is calculated as a percentage of gross domestic product. The gross NHS expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product is given for financial years in the table.
	
		United Kingdom NHS spend
		
			  Percentage of gross domestic product 
		
		
			 1996–97 5.7 
			 1997–98 5.6 
			 1998–99 5.6 
			 1999–2000 5.8 
			 2000–01 6.1

Free Nursing Care (Battersea)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners and disabled people requiring long-term care in Battersea who will receive free nursing care next April.

Jacqui Smith: Just over 80 people in Battersea are receiving free nursing care from 1 October 2001 and a similar number will receive this from April 2002. This is the number of people assessed as eligible for free nursing care currently resident in nursing homes in Battersea. Many other local residents already receive assistance with the costs of their care by a registered nurse through the local authority or receive it free from the national health service in residential accommodation or at home.

Autism (Wandsworth)

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the help available for autistic children and adults and their families in Wandsworth.

Jacqui Smith: The learning disability White Paper "Valuing People—A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21 Century" issued in March 2001 sets out the Government's proposals for maximising opportunities for all disabled children and supporting young people's transition into adult life. It focuses in particular on the needs of learning disabled children and their families, but does so within a framework which applies equally to all disabled children, including those on the autistic spectrum.
	Children with autism will benefit from a range of initiatives we are taking to improve services for disabled children. As part of the Quality Protects programme we set new national objectives for children's services which for the first time set out clear outcomes for children, and in some instances give precise targets which local authorities are expected to achieve. These were updated in "Valuing People".
	Disabled children have been made a priority area in Quality Protects. The last spending review made substantial additional funding available for the Children's Services grant which now totals £180 million in 2001–02, £220 million in 2002–03 and £290 million in 2003–04. Of this, £60 million has been earmarked for services for disabled children and their families—£15 million in 2001–02 and 2002–03 and £30 million in 2003–04.
	We have also announced that services for disabled children will be a key area to be addressed by the national service framework for children. We want to make autism an exemplar under the children's national service framework, so that when the framework is concluded people will be able to see how services should be provided.
	The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001 which came into effect from 1 January 2002 provides strengthened and more focused advice on identifying, assessing and providing for children's special educational needs. The Department for Education and Skills will also be publishing good practice guidance on aspects of provision for children with autism, mainly aimed at schools and local education authorities.
	The White Paper, "Valuing People", published in March 2001, covers all adults with autism who also have a learning disability. White Paper implementation guidance issued in August last year states that
	"Adults with Asperger's Syndrome or higher functioning autism are not precluded from using learning disability services, where appropriate, and may require an assessment of their social functioning and communication skills in order to establish their level of need."
	By bringing together health, social care and educational agencies, "Valuing People" gives us the scope to improve opportunities and services for people across the autistic spectrum.
	It is for local statutory bodies, Wandsworth in this instance, to determine the services they provide in the light of their knowledge of local needs and priorities.

Ambulance Paramedics

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) ambulances and (b) paramedics there were per 1000 population in (i) Staffordshire, (ii) other similar authorities and (iii) England, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of ambulance vehicles in each ambulance service, health authority and nationally is not collected. Information on the number of paramedics per 1,000 per population is shown in the table.
	
		NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): ambulance paramedics per 1,000 population by organisation in England as at 30 September each year
		
			1998  1999  2000  
			   (24)wte (25)hc (24)wte (25)hc (24)wte (25)hc 
		
		
			 All England 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.14 
			
			 Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.09 0.09 0.11 0.12 0.13 0.13 
			
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 0.19 0.19 0.16 0.16 0.17 0.17 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.16 
			 Two Shires—Northampton and Bucks Ambulance NHS Trust 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 
			 Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 
			 Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.14 0.15 0.13 0.13 0.15 0.15 
			 Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.16 0.15 0.15 
			 Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.17 0.18 0.15 0.17 0.15 0.16 
			 Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 
			 East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 0.14 0.14 0.16 0.16 0.18 0.18 
			 Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.08 0.11 0.11 
			 South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.07 0.07 0.07 
			 Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 
			 Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.10 
			 Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust 0.30 0.31 (25)— (25)— (25)— (25)— 
			 Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.19 0.19 0.18 0.19 0.18 0.18 
			 Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.17 0.18 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.11 0.11 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.14 
			 Lincolnshire Ambulance and Health Transport Service NHS Trust 0.18 0.18 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 
			 Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.54 0.61 0.62 
			 Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 06 0.06 0.14 0.14 0.16 0.16 
			 West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.05 0.06 0.05 0.06 0.11 0.11 
			 Westcountry Ambulance Services NHS Trust and South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 0.20 0.20 0.19 0.19 0.20 0.20 
			 Gloucestershire Ambulance Services NHS Trust 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.17 
			 West Midlands Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.14 0.14 0.15 0.15 
			 Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.10 0.10 0.08 0.08 0.09 0.09 
			 Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 0.14 
			 Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.21 0.22 0.22 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0.12 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.11 0.11 
		
	
	(24) wte = whole-time equivalents
	(25) hc = headcount
	(26) = not available
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to two decimal places
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
	Office for National Statistics (ONS)

General Practitioners

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to SIs No 3740 and 3742, if it is Government policy to provide for (a) the automatic removal of a general practitioner from a health authority's list after a sentence of imprisonment of more than six months and (b) the absence of any opportunity for the doctor to make a case against removal; and whether it is his intention to impose a ban on such a general practitioner's right to practise without regard to the reasons for that imprisonment.

John Hutton: holding answer 19 December 2001
	The regulations provide that the removal of a doctor from, or the refusal to admit a doctor to, a medical or supplementary list after a criminal conviction and a sentence of more than six months imprisonment will be automatic. These regulations were introduced after consultation with the British Medical Association.
	Our legal system provides that the most serious criminal offences are to be dealt with by a Crown court and those less serious offences by a magistrates court. The threshold laid down in these regulations reflects the respective responsibilities of these courts, in that only a Crown court may impose a custodial sentence of more than six months following a conviction. Given that a magistrates court may not impose such a sentence, our view is that anyone who receives such a sentence, in relation to obviously serious offences, is unsuitable to work in the national health service as a general medical practitioner.

General Practitioners

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason general practitioners who are on contracts do not receive a (a) full golden hello and (b) sum proportional to their contract or hours worked.

John Hutton: Golden hello payments are intended to encourage doctors to become and remain national health service general practitioners. New GPs who work exclusively as locums, hold fixed term contracts of two years or less or who have a commitment of less than 25 per cent. do not therefore qualify for a payment until they take on a substantive post with at least 25 per cent. time commitment and a longer contract.

General Practitioners

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average waiting time to see a GP in Greater London; and what the equivalent figure was in 1997.

John Hutton: holding answer 8 January 2002
	From September 2001 data are being collected quarterly on the lead time for the first available appointment with each general practitioner practice. From the September 2001 survey, results showed that within the London region, 72 per cent. of practices, with appointment systems in place, could offer a patient an appointment with a GP within two working days. 90 per cent. of practices had an appointment system in place to see a GP.

NHS (Directors' Secondments)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many executive directors of NHS trusts and health authorities were on secondment to other organisations as at 1 December 2001.

John Hutton: The number of executive directors of national health service trusts and health authorities on secondment to other organisations as at 1 December 2001 was as follows:
	
		
			 Region Chief Executives Executive Directors Total 
		
		
			 West Midlands 1 7 8 
			 Trent 3 7 10 
			 South West 2 7 9 
			 Northern and Yorks 1 5 6 
			 South East 6 1 7 
			 North West 2 10 12 
			 Eastern 4 6 10 
			 London 2 10 12 
			  
			 TOTAL 21 53 74

Flu Immunisation (Jarrow)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were immunised against flu in Jarrow during this year's immunisation campaign.

Jacqui Smith: Information regarding the numbers of children immunised against flu is not routinely collected. The Department collects information on influenza uptake only for people aged 65 and over. As at 31 December 2001, Gateshead and South Tyneside health authority have achieved an uptake of 69.9 per cent. in this age group.

Dioxins

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the recommendations of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on acceptable limits of dioxins in food.

Yvette Cooper: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that the recommendation of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) is for a tolerable daily intake (TDI) for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) of two picogrammes TEQ/kilogramme bodyweight per day (pg TEQ/kg). This is a fifth of the level previously set. A TDI is the amount of a chemical that can be consumed every day without causing harm.
	The Food Standards Agency's extensive programme of research and surveys for these contaminants has shown that the average dietary exposure in the United Kingdom is already below the new TDI. However, in common with the United States of America and the European Union, about one-third of the UK population may exceed the TDI from their daily diet. Almost all of these will be below 3.5 pg TEQ/kg, which represents a small erosion of the safety margin that is inherent in the TDI.
	The most effective way to reduce exposure to these chemicals through the food supply is to continue to decrease emissions to the environment, from both industrial and non-industrial sources. Measures already taken have resulted in a 70 per cent. decrease in emissions over the last nine years and the agency will continue to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency to ensure that emissions are reduced still further.

Respiratory and Circulatory Disease (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Easington Primary Care Group area suffer from respiratory and circulatory illnesses as a percentage of (a) the local population and (b) the population covered by the Durham health authority.

Jacqui Smith: Between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2001, approximately 5,700 patients from Easington were admitted to hospital with respiratory or circulatory diseases, representing 5.8 per cent. of the local population and 0.9 per cent. of the population covered by County Durham and Darlington health authority.

Respiratory and Circulatory Disease (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients suffer from diabetes in the Easington Primary Care Group area as a percentage of (a) the local population and (b) the population covered by the Durham health authority.

Jacqui Smith: Local registers indicate that 2,630 patients from Easington currently suffer from diabetes, representing 2.7 per cent. of the local population and 0.4 per cent. of the population covered by County Durham and Darlington health authority.

Care Home Beds (Buckinghamshire)

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in Buckinghamshire in the care home sector between 1997 and 2001.

Jacqui Smith: The table shows the number of places in residential care homes and registered beds in nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics in the Buckinghamshire area between 1997 and 2001.
	
		Residential places(27) and registered nursing beds in the Buckinghamshire area(28) in 1997 and 2001 -- Number
		
			 At 31 March Places in residential care homes Registered nursing beds in nursing homes(29),(30) 
		
		
			 1997 2,438 1,735 
			 1998 3,253 2,054 
			 1999 3,383 1,966 
			 2000 3,399 1,896 
			 2001 3,426 1,951 
		
	
	(27) Excludes places in children's homes.
	(28) Information is presented for the area represented by the county of Buckinghamshire prior to local government re-organisation on 1 April 1998. Figures for 31 March 1999 onwards relate to the unitary authority of Milton Keynes and the reduced shire county area of Buckinghamshire.
	(29) Registered beds in general and mental nursing homes, hospitals and clinics. Information is presented on nursing beds for the Buckinghamshire health authority (which equates to the former county of Buckinghamshire prior to local government re-organisation).
	(30) Information for registered nursing beds in 1997 relates to the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.
	Source:
	Department of Health's annual returns

Migraine

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include migraine in the new NHS framework for long-term neurological conditions.

Jacqui Smith: Detailed decisions about the scope and content of the national service framework for long-term conditions have not yet been made, other than outlining that it will draw out some of the common issues faced by people with a long-term condition, and also pay particular attention to specific neurological diseases.
	We held a scoping workshop on the 12 November 2001 attended by patients and service users, national health service professionals, NHS managers, social care professionals, and representatives from voluntary organisations and other Government Departments.

Tees Health Authority

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting (a) more than six months and (b) more than 12 months for in-patient treatment in the Tees health authority area in (i) December 1996 and (ii) December 2001.

Jacqui Smith: Information relating to in-patient waiting times in Tees health authority is shown in the table. Data relating to December 2001 are not yet available so the most recent published data has been given.
	
		
			   Number of patients waiting:  
			   over 6 months over 12 months 
		
		
			 As at December 1996 2,712 10 
			 As at November 2001 2,408 66

Mental Health (Children)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school-age children from ethnic minority communities suffer from mental health problems; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: A survey of the mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain was carried out in 1999 by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Department of Health, the Scottish Health Executive and the National Assembly for Wales.
	Nearly 10 per cent. of white children and 12 per cent. of black children were assessed as having a mental health problem whereas the prevalence rates among Asian children were 8 per cent. of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi children and 4 per cent. of the Indian children.
	Despite the large number of interviews achieved in this survey, ethnic differences are difficult to interpret because of the small numbers in the sample who regarded themselves as belonging to particular ethnic groups. Nevertheless, Indian children, particularly girls, seem to have far lower rates of mental disorder than both white or black children.
	Mental health services for children will be part of the Children's National Service Framework. Part of the remit of the framework will be to tackle problems surrounding access and inequality, which can particularly affect people from ethnic minorities.

Mental Health (Children)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision exists for school-age children who suffer from mental health problems (a) in the UK and (b) in the Teesside area; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The responsibility for the provision of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in England lies with health authorities and local authorities. They are required to have joint development strategies which will ensure that a comprehensive range of services are available for children and young people.
	We have an ongoing commitment to the improvement of CAMHS and it will be an important part of the Children's National Service Framework. We shall be working closely with the Department for Education and Skills when developing the CAMHS module of the National Service Framework. This is a major development and will safeguard the quality of child mental health services.
	The Department for Education and Skills is developing a number of initiatives designed to help schools and teachers work with children with a range of emotional and behavioural needs. In June 2001 they issued their guidance "Promoting Children's Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings". This covers not only mental health problems faced by children but the approaches schools can take to promote children's mental health.
	The framework for comprehensive service provision contained in "Promoting Children's Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings" sets out four service levels. Tier 1: a primary level provided by non-specialists, tier 2: a level provided by uni-professional groups, tier 3: a specialist service for more severe, complex and persistent disorders, and tier 4: tertiary services such as day units and in-patient units for older children and adolescents who are severely mentally ill or at suicide risk.
	In Teesside, services for children with mental health problems requiring input at tiers 1 and 2 are provided through educational psychology service links with schools and school nurses. This ensures that the identified teachers link with locality CAMHS groups to ensure continuity.
	At tier 3 psychiatrists, Grade A and B clinical psychologists and community psychiatric nurses from Tees and North East Yorkshire national health service trust's Roseberry Centre at Middlesbrough provide out-patient outreach services along with primary care link workers.
	At tier 4, for children up to the age of 12 requiring in-patient care, the health authority utilises the Fleming Nuffield Unit at Newcastle. Children in the age group over 12 to 18 years have in-patient provision through the Roseberry Centre. If it is identified by clinicians that an adolescent requires a more secure environment because of behavioural presentation or offending behaviour, the adolescent forensic service at Newcastle is utilised.

Hospital Doctors (Criminal Convictions)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require hospital doctors registered as practitioners in England and Wales to disclose any criminal convictions they have in any jurisdiction.

John Hutton: Department of Health circular Health Service Circular 2001–019 (Appointment Procedures for Hospital and Community Medical and Dental Staff) requires applicants for hospital and community medical and dental posts in the national health service in England to declare if they have ever been convicted of any criminal offence, bound over or cautioned in the United Kingdom or any other country. Employees already in post have a contractual duty to inform their employer if they are charged with a criminal offence.
	Practitioners in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

MRI Scanners

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) new and (b) replacement MRI scanners have been provided through exclusively central funding since January 2000.

Yvette Cooper: Since January 2000, 34 additional MRI scanners, 18 replacement MRI scanners and upgrades to two existing MRI scanners have been allocated from central funding. Of these, 13 additional and 10 replacement MRI scanners had been delivered by 14 January 2002.
	A further 50 additional MRI scanners will be provided from central funding by 2004, as outlined in the NHS plan and NHS cancer plan.

Linear Accelerators

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) new and (b) replacement linear accelerators have been provided through exclusively central funding since January 2000.

Yvette Cooper: Since January 2000, 15 additional linear accelerators and 42 replacement linear accelerators have been allocated from central funding. Of these, eight additional and 22 replacement linear accelerators had been delivered by 14 January 2002.
	A further 25 additional and 20 replacement linear accelerators will be provided from central funding by 2004, as outlined in the NHS Plan and NHS Cancer Plan.

CT Scanners

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) new and (b) replacement CT scanners have been provided through central funding since January 2000.

Yvette Cooper: Since January 2000, 21 additional CT scanners and 113 replacement CT scanners have been allocated from central funding. Of these, two additional and 60 replacement CT scanners had been delivered by 14 January 2002.
	A further 50 additional CT scanners will be provided from central funding by 2004, as outlined in the NHS Plan and NHS Cancer Plan.

Tuberculosis

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of TB were reported between 1980 and 2000 in the UK.

Yvette Cooper: The number of reported tuberculosis cases in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 2000 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  TB notifications  
			 Year England & Wales Scotland N. Ireland Total UK 
		
		
			 1980 9,142 1,138 205 10,485 
			 1981 8,128 972 190 9,290 
			 1982 7,406 902 140 8,448 
			 1983 6,800 829 163 7,792 
			 1984 6,141 741 161 7,043 
			 1985 5,857 707 83 6,647 
			 1986 5,992 756 108 6,856 
			 1987 5,085 560 99 5,744 
			 1988 5,161 534 86 5,781 
			 1989 5,432 533 94 6,059 
			 1990 5,204 563 131 5,898 
			 1991 5,436 546 96 6,078 
			 1992 5,798 559 84 6,441 
			 1993 5,920 554 90 6,564 
			 1994 5,590 546 93 6,229 
			 1995 5,606 478 90 6,174 
			 1996 5,654 509 75 6,238 
			 1997 5,859 433 75 6,367 
			 1998 6,087 464 61 6,612 
			 1999 6,143 497 61 6,701 
			 2000 (31)6,231 (31)406 58 6,695 
		
	
	(31) provisional

Healthy Living Centre Initiative

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for funding from the healthy living centre initiative have been received from projects based in Buckinghamshire; and what the outcome was in each case.

Hazel Blears: Six applications have been received. Five have been rejected and one is still under consideration.

Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed by Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust in each year since 1997; and what the average sickness absence rate for staff was (a) in the UK and (b) in Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust in each year.

Hazel Blears: The total number of (whole-time equivalent) staff employed at the Two Shires Ambulance national health service trust for the years 1997–2000 are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1997 450 
			 1998 510 
			 1999 550 
			 2000 580 
		
	
	The collection of NHS trust sickness absence rates commenced in 1998 and the Two Shires Ambulance trust returned their first in 1999. The results of the sickness absence survey for 2000 are not yet finalised and the collection for 2001 has not yet taken place.
	In 1999 the sickness absence rate for the Two Shires Ambulance NHS trust was 5.5 per cent.

Cancer Survival Rates

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to bring survival rates of British cancer patients into line with other European countries.

Yvette Cooper: The NHS Cancer Plan, which was published in September 2000, sets out a programme of action to tackle the disease. The strategy will speed up access to high quality services across the country to bring cancer services in line with the rest of Europe.

Theft and Fraud

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non- departmental public bodies in each of the last four years.

John Hutton: The figures requested are in the table.
	
		
			 Year £ 
		
		
			 (a) Department  
			 1997–98 61,415.25 
			 1998–99 66,897.29 
			 1999–2000 48,148.81 
			 2000–01 56,831.99 
			   
			 (b) Agencies  
			 1997–98 1,461 
			 1998–99 Nil 
			 1999–2000 3,493 
			 2000–01 Nil 
			   
			 (c) Non-departmental public bodies  
			 1997–98 10,458 
			 1998–99 6,903 
			 1999–2000 2,739 
			 2000–01 6,582 
		
	
	The Department now has a Directorate of Counter Fraud Services staffed by professionally trained and accredited counter fraud specialists.

Doctors (Qualification Checks)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks are carried out by NHS trusts to verify the qualifications of doctors before they are offered employment; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: All national health service employers have a duty to check that the doctors they employ are suitably qualified and experienced. This includes checks on General Medical Council registration, qualifications (original certificates), criminal records and health. Employers also take up personal and professional references for potential employees.
	In the case of general practitioners, the health authority will make such checks before allowing principals and non-principal general practitioners to be entered on their lists of approved practitioners.
	Where doctors are employed in a locum capacity employers will either make the checks themselves or require the supplying agency to do so. This principle is enshrined in the national contract for the supply of locum doctors and the locum code of practice.

Primary Care Collaboratives

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the primary care collaborative which was launched in 2000 by the National Primary Care Development Team; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The National Primary Care Development Team of the Modernisation Agency has demonstrated that it is possible to balance demand with capacity to ensure patients are looked after by the clinician best placed to meet their needs and that staff are less likely to feel overwhelmed by demand. They are actively disseminating the "advanced access" model developed by the collaborative across the country, which covers nearly 1,000 practices who provide care for seven million patients.
	In December 2001, we announced the introduction of 11 new national primary care development centres across England. These new centres are being developed to roll out the benefits of the collaborative to every primary care organisation across the country.
	We have provided an earmarked increase of £83.5 million to the primary care trust primary care access fund in 2002–03 to help primary care trusts work with their practices to improve primary care access.

Hampshire Ambulance Service

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what is (a) Hampshire Ambulance NHS trust's target time for responding to emergency calls in (i) Ringwood, (ii) Fordingbridge and (iii) the Avon Valley and (b) the actual time taken in the last two years in good road conditions by the emergency ambulance provided at Totton; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of emergency calls in the last two years from (a) Ringwood, (b) Fordingbridge and (c) the Avon Valley received a response from the ambulance service provision at Totton within the target time; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Our target response times require that ambulance services prioritise emergency calls. Immediate life threatening calls are classified as category A, and other emergency calls are classified as category B/C. Ambulance services are required to respond to 75 per cent. of category A calls within eight minutes and 95 per cent. of category B/C calls within 19 minutes.
	Information relating to response times in the geographical areas mentioned is not collected separately. The information available about responses to emergency calls is available only at ambulance trust level. Information about the number of emergency calls and the proportion of emergency calls resulting in an ambulance arriving at the scene of the reported incident within the Government's target response time for Hampshire Ambulance national health service trust and all other ambulance trusts in England are contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Ambulance Services, England 2000–01". A copy is in the Library and available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/ public/sb0115.htm.

Emergency Contraception

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what advice the Government received in March 2000 from the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the need for medical supervision of the supply of the morning-after pill to girls under 16; whether that advice has been superseded; and what action is taken to ensure that its supply complies with that advice;
	(2)  what clinical trials were conducted on the morning-after pill's use by girls under 16; and what considerations underlay the decision to license it without age limit;
	(3)  what steps are recommended to ensure that (a) the morning-after pill and (b) paracetamol, when supplied to girls under 16 (i) in family planning clinics, (ii) by general practitioners, (iii) by hospital accident and emergency departments, (iv) by school nurses and (v) direct by pharmacists, does not react with other medication.

Yvette Cooper: In March 2000, the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) was sought on an application by Medimpex (in conjunction with Schering Health Care) to reclassify levonorgestrel (the morning after pill) 0.75 mg from prescription only to pharmacy availability for emergency hormonal contraception in women aged 16 and over. The CSM considered, on the evidence before it, that the criteria for prescription only status no longer applied to levonorgestrel 0.75 mg for this indication in this age group, and therefore advised that levonorgestrel 0.75 mg should only be supplied to those aged 16 and over without medical supervision. In giving its advice, CSM recognised that, although the efficacy and safety profile of levonorgestrel 0.75 mg for emergency hormonal contraception may not be expected to be different in the under 16s, provision to this age group posed special risk management issues. The CSM therefore advised that emergency contraception should only be supplied to those under 16 under medical supervision. That advice has not been superseded. The minutes of the CSM meeting of 23 March 2000 are available on their website www.mca.gov.uk/aboutagency/regframework/csm/ csmhome.htm.
	Medical supervision includes the supply by other health professionals (such as nurses and pharmacists) working to a patient group direction. Supply of the prescription product complies with the usual requirements for prescription only medicines.
	The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain has set professional standards and developed comprehensive guidance for pharmacists on the retail supply of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC). The guidance says that
	"pharmacists should make every reasonable effort to satisfy themselves that clients are aged 16 or over. Pharmacists should ensure that, where they believe a client to be under 16, the request is dealt with sympathetically and the client is offered appropriate help and support to enable her to obtain EHC by another route."
	No clinical trials of levonorgestrel use specific to girls under 16 have been conducted in the United Kingdom. The marketing authorisation granted in 1999 for levonorgestrel 0.75 mg tablets as a prescription only medicine was supported by evidence from two large randomised controlled studies, one conducted by the World Health Organisation, and published data from uncontrolled studies. Most women in the clinical trials were aged between 16 and 48, but a few girls aged 14 and 15 were included. There were no data available for girls between ages 11 and 14 years. Age analysis of efficacy and safety in randomised studies did not identify any population that responded differently to treatment.
	General practitioners and other health professionals who supply levonorgestrel and paracetamol to girls under 16 are all professionally trained to provide advice and to follow procedures designed to ensure that these products are used safely. Health professionals operating under a patient group direction have to follow formal protocols which include measures to avoid unwanted interactions with other medicines. As an added safeguard, under European legislation, the patient information leaflet approved for all medicines must contain information about interactions with other medicines and measures that should be taken to avoid them.

Emergency Contraception

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the morning-after pill was prescribed (a) in total and (b) to girls under 16 (i) in family planning clinics, (ii) by general practitioners, (iii) by hospital accident and emergency departments, (iv) by school nurses and (v) direct by pharmacists in each year since 1998; and what percentage (b) was of (a).

Yvette Cooper: Not all of the data requested are collected centrally. Information on emergency hormonal contraception supplied under a patient group direction, by school nurses and pharmacists is not available and only family planning clinics report data by age.
	The tables show prescriptions for emergency hormonal contraception dispensed in family planning clinics and prescriptions dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors in England.
	
		Family planning clinics(32) -- Total post-coital contraceptives prescribed000s
		
			 Financial year  All ages Under 16s Percentage of prescriptions to under 16s 
		
		
			 1998–99 209.9 21.5 10.24 
			 1999–2000 233.0 23.1 9.91 
			 2000–01 228.8 25.2 11.01 
		
	
	(32) Post-coital hormonal contraceptives which excludes IUDs
	
		Prescriptions dispensed in the community(33) -- 000s
		
			 Calendar year  Number of prescription items 
		
		
			 1998 559.8 
			 1999 536.8 
			 2000 554.8 
		
	
	(33) This includes community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors. A breakdown of age is not separately identifiable.

Emergency Contraception

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the provision of the morning after pill for 13 to 16-year-old girls.

Yvette Cooper: According to recent research, around a quarter of young people have sex before their sixteenth birthday. Under 16s are also less likely than older women to use contraception consistently. Our teenage pregnancy strategy recognises the importance of helping young people resist peer pressure to have early sex while seeking to ensure that those who are sexually active have easy access to high quality contraceptive advice. Emergency contraception is a safe and effective method of preventing unplanned pregnancy. It also brings young people into contact with a health professional where they can discuss their relationship, any on-going contraception needs and the importance of using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted infections.
	Emergency contraception is considered to have a similar safety profile for under 16s as for older women and is supplied to under 16s under medical supervision, within the legal framework established in 1986.

Drug Safety (Roaccutane and Antidepressants

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessments she has made of the adequacy of the warning of the side effects of (a) roaccutane and (b) antidepressants; and what is his estimate of the effects of both.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 17 January 2002
	The safety of all medicines on the United Kingdom market is continuously monitored by the Medicines Control Agency and the independent advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The product information includes the Summary of Product Characteristics for Prescribers and the Patient Information leaflet included in each pack of the medicine. These are also kept under continuous review to make sure that they provide the most up to date and relevant information to healthcare professionals and the public regarding the safe use of the medicine.
	Roaccutane (isotretinoin) is licensed only for the treatment of very severe and disfiguring forms of acne. Roaccutane is a prescription only medicine and the terms of the marketing authorisation specify that it must be prescribed by, or under the supervision of, a consultant dermatologist. In addition, the supply of Roaccutane is restricted to hospitals or specified retail pharmacies.
	The product information for Roaccutane was last updated in June 2001 with regard to warnings and possible side effects. One of the key previous amendments to the product information was the strengthening of the warning relating to depression and other psychiatric reactions including suicide, which was approved in March 1998.
	Two major classes of antidepressant are the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and the Tricyclic Antidepressants. The safety profiles of SSRIs and TCAs are well-established and are reflected in the product information for prescribers and patients. MCA/CSM carried out a major review of the safety profile of SSRIs, which was completed in 2000 and resulted in product information being updated and an article being published in the drug safety bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance".

Respiratory Consultants

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the projected increase of 150 additional respiratory consultants by 2004 includes persons already in the process of specialising.

John Hutton: holding answer 21 January 2002
	Current supply projections show that there will be an increase of around 150 trained specialists in respiratory medicine available to take up consultant posts in the specialty by 2004. The projections include specialist registrars currently in training in the specialty of respiratory medicine and take account of the long term effect of measures to increase consultant recruitment and deliver the NHS Plan target of 7,500 more consultants by 2004.

Worcestershire Community and Mental Health NHS Trust

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the deficit of the Worcestershire Community and Mental Health NHS trust; and what steps will be taken to address it.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 21 January 2002
	The Worcestershire Community and Mental Health national health service trust is projecting a £300,000 deficit against its turnover of £87 million (0.35 per cent.). I am advised that the underlying causes of the deficit are expenditure on bank and agency nursing staff, prescribed drugs and locum medical staff.
	The trust has taken action to contain expenditure across the organisation, including reducing spending on locum medical staff by securing appointments to a number of consultant post vacancies.
	Worcestershire health authority, Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust and prospective PCTs are currently in discussion with the trust in relation to the service and financial framework for 2002–03. I would expect the outcome of these discussions to secure a settlement which will fund the existing range of mental health services as well as developments in line with the NHS plan and National Service Framework for Mental Health and Older Adults.

Complementary Medicine

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that student doctors and nurses familiarise themselves with complementary medicine.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 22 January 2002
	It is not for the Department to determine the content of education and training for health professionals.
	Individual medical schools determine their own undergraduate medical curriculum in the light of recommendations from the General Medical Council's Education Committee, which has the statutory responsibility to determine the extent of knowledge and skill required for the granting of primary medical qualifications in the United Kingdom. The Education Committee's recommendations on undergraduate medical education are currently under review.
	For nursing, midwifery and health visiting, the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting determines the standard, kind and content of education leading to registration.
	The Foundation for Integrated Medicine, with which the Department works closely, held a symposium on familiarisation in complementary and alternative medicine for medical undergraduates on 23 November 2001. This was aimed at curriculum co-ordinators and teachers of CAM in all medical schools and was well attended.

Learning Disabilities

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will meet representatives from Mencap to discuss care problems for children and adults with severe learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to improve domiciliary care support for families caring for children and adults with profound and multiple learning difficulties;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to improve services for children and adults with profound and multiple learning difficulties following the publication of the White Paper, Valuing People.

Jacqui Smith: Our strategy for improving services for people with learning disability is set out in the White Paper, "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century", published in March 2001. It is the first White Paper on the subject for 30 years and takes a cradle to grave, cross-Government look at services. It is based on four key principles—rights, independence, choice, and inclusion. The proposals in "Valuing People" are for all children, young people, adults and older people with learning disabilities, and their families. They cover people with severe and profound learning disabilities through to people with mild or moderate learning disabilities and people with learning disabilities from across the autistic spectrum.
	Learning disability partnership boards in each local authority area are responsible for overseeing implementation of the "Valuing People" proposals at local level. Boards consist of representatives of a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector interests, including social services, health, education, employment, and housing, as well as people with learning disabilities and carers. We will be looking to boards to ensure that the strategies they develop adequately reflect the needs of all learning disabled adults in their area. We will be looking closely at the joint investment plan boards have to produce by the end of this month to ensure that this happens.
	Action to implement the proposals in "Valuing People" for improving the lives of children and young people with learning disabilities is being taken forward through the Quality Protects programme. Disabled children are now a priority area in this programme to transform children's social services. From 2001–02 to 2003–04 £60 million has been earmarked for services for disabled children and their families—£15 million this year and 2002–03 and £30 million in 2003–04.
	We are also improving support for profound and multiple learning disabled children as part of other programmes to improve service for all disabled children:
	The implementation of the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 from 1 April 2001 is allowing direct payments to be made to parents of disabled children, giving greater choice and flexibility in how they receive services.
	From June 2001, we have funded the charity Contact a Family by £500,000 per annum to run a new National Information Centre for families with disabled children. This includes a national telephone help and advice line.
	We have increased its funding to the Family Fund Trust which provides grants to help reduce the stress on families with severely disabled children. In 2000–01, the Government contributed funding of £25.4 million. This funding has increased by £1 million this year and will increase by £2 million in 2002–03 and £3 million in 2003–04.
	We have recently announced the development of a National Service Framework (NSF) for children. This will set out to tackle inequalities, raise standards, and reduce unacceptable variations in NHS and social services. Services for disabled children will be a key part of the NSF.
	Mencap contributed to the development of "Valuing People" through membership of two of the working groups which took forward the early work. It continues to be involved in the implementation of some of its proposals and its chief executive is a member of the Learning Disability Task Force which has been set up to oversee implementation at national level. Ministers and departmental officials regularly meet representatives of Mencap and discuss aspects of "Valuing People"; I hope to meet Mencap representatives again on 5 March.

Patient Journey Times

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people live more than half an hour's journey from (a) a malignant haematology and bone marrow transplant, (b) a chemotherapy out-patient, (c) a specialist endocrinology, (d) a neurology, (e) a renal, (f) a plastic surgery, (g) a genetics, (h) a paediatric cardiology and (i) a paediatric surgery unit (i) in each health authority (ii) in England and (iii) on the Isle of Wight; and what proportion these figures are of the population of each.

John Hutton: The information requested is not available as information collected by the Department identifies the national health service trust concerned but not the exact site or unit locations at which different specific services are provided.

Funeral Arrangements

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the number of NHS patients buried by NHS trusts in unmarked graves;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the provision of minimum funeral standards in NHS hospitals.

John Hutton: This information is not collected centrally by the Department.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Asylum Appeals

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average delay between hearing an asylum appeal and the appellant receiving a determination was in the last quarter for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: For asylum appeals heard between 1 October 2001 and 31 December 2001, the average time taken from hearing an asylum appeal to promulgation of the appeal is:
	3.60 weeks at Adjudicator tier.
	4.80 weeks at Tribunal tier.

Asylum Appeals

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeal determinations have been passed on to the Home Office to deliver since 7 January.

Rosie Winterton: Between 7 January and 21 January the IAA have passed the Home Office 494 determinations for delivery.

Asylum Appeals

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals against refusal of asylum were completed between 1 April and 30 November 2001.

Rosie Winterton: Between 1 April and 30 November 2001, 29,455 asylum appeals were completed at the Adjudicator stage; 9,435 leave to appeal to the Immigration Appellate Tribunal applications were dealt with; and 2,362 substantive hearings took place at the Tribunal.

Asylum Appeals

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of people have unsuccessfully appealed against refusal of asylum then sought to appeal against that decision in the last quarter for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Of asylum appeals received between 1 April 2001 and 30 June 2001, where the Adjudicator has made a decision: 80 per cent. were unsuccessful in their appeal against refusal of asylum. Of the 80 per cent. that were unsuccessful at Adjudicator appeal, 38 per cent. went on to appeal to the IAT.

Immigration Appellate Authority

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average time taken by the Immigration Appellate Authority is to process from receipt to determination (a) oral family visitor appeals, (b) paper-only family visitor appeals, (c) asylum appeals and (d) other immigration appeals.

Rosie Winterton: For cases promulgated by the IAA between 1 April 2001 and 31 December 2001, the current average time to process cases from receipt to determination is:
	6.95 weeks for oral family visitor appeals
	2.68 weeks for paper-only family visitor appeals
	19.80 weeks for asylum appeals
	17.96 weeks for other immigration appeals.

Immigration Appellate Authority

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) oral and (b) paper-only family visitor appeals were received by the Immigration Appellate Authority in December 2001.

Rosie Winterton: In December 2001, the Immigration Appellate Authority received 97 cases for oral hearing and 129 cases for paper-only hearing.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Simon Hughes: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the development of the information technology project for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service; whether guidance in the report Successful IT-Modernising Government in Action has been followed in relation to the project; whether the IT project is subject to any oversight by an IT project board; whether the IT system is able to record details of children who are the subject of court reports; whether the system fulfils obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998; and what was the (a) start date, (b) original planned completion date, (c) latest expected completion date, (d) original planned cost and (e) latest expected cost of the project.

Rosie Winterton: Establishment of CAFCASS as a new, unified service provides an opportunity for improved communication and case management across the service. CAFCASS's IT project has been taken forward in two phases: Phase 1 installation of a national (England and Wales) infrastructure to support the service from launch; Phase 2 development of an integrated system to replace and extend Phase 1 systems and provide improved management information and interfaces with other organisations. The guidance in the report "Successful IT—Modernising Government in Action" has been followed. A Project Board was constituted under Prince 2 project management methodology.
	In addition to the Phase 1 infrastructure, CAFCASS inherited systems holding case data from its predecessor services; almost all of which continue to provide operational service. This includes the recording of details of children who are the subject of court reports in the same way they did before CAFCASS's launch. CAFCASS is Data Protection Act registered. Future changes to systems will ensure CAFCASS's continued compliance.
	(a) A Support Infrastructure Project was established, under Prince 2 methodology, in June 2000 with the Project Initiation Document issued at end September 2000.
	(b) The planned completion date for Phase 1 was 1 April 2001. This was found to be unrealistic before rollout, and revised to 31 May 2001. The planned completion date for Phase 2 was 31 March 2002.
	(c) Phase 1 was completed on time in May 2001. A statement of requirements for Phase 2 was completed for April 2001. CAFCASS is currently reviewing its IT strategy to assess immediate and longer term needs in the light of the operating experience it now has. This will include a decision on whether Phase 2 is the best option for CAFCASS's future operation.
	(d) Phase 1 was planned at £5.2 million. Early estimates for Phase 2 were approximately £5–6 million. Firm costs have not been established as the project has not proceeded to procurement.
	(e) Phase 1 was completed at £5.9 million due to more fit out work being needed than had been expected at many sites. CAFCASS is reviewing the IT strategy on which the future cost of Phase 2 will depend.

Market and Opinion Research

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what expenditure has been incurred by her (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; and if she will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each.

Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor's Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies conduct a range of exercises to measure public satisfaction with services and future needs. Many of these are carried out at a local level so that services can be provided to match the needs of local communities. The cost of collating and detailing all this activity would be disproportionate.

Refurbishment

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what his estimate is of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by his Department in each of the last four years.

Michael Wills: The amount spent by the Lord Chancellor's Department on refurbishment of buildings in the last four financial years is shown in the table.
	
		£ 
		
			 Financial year Cost of refurbishment 
		
		
			 1997–98 23,517,936.20 
			 1998–99 22,006,208.75 
			 1999–2000 22,915,180.32 
			 2000–01 26,497,353.26

Departmental Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many publications were issued by her Department in each of the last four years.

Rosie Winterton: The information is presented in the table.
	
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 LCDHQ 37 38 42 41 
			 Court Service 19 35 8 2 
			 Land Registry 0 1 6 8 
			 Public Record Office 8 9 13 7 
			 Public Guardianship Office 2 2 4 14 
			 Northern Ireland Court Service 3 3 7 10 
			  
			 Total 69 88 80 82

Golden Jubilee

Bob Russell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department 
	(1)  when an announcement will be made as to which applicant towns have been granted city status to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty's Accession to the Throne;
	(2)  if she will arrange for more than one English town to be granted city status to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty's Accession to the Throne.

Rosie Winterton: Decisions on the grant of city status are made by the Queen, under the Royal Prerogative, on the advice of Ministers. Her Majesty the Queen has not expressed a wish to grant city status to more than one town in England to mark Her Golden Jubilee, and my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor expects to advise Her on that basis. He will announce the results of the competition as soon as possible.

Golden Jubilee

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the applicants for the grant of a Lord Mayoralty or Lord Provostship to mark Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Rosie Winterton: pursuant to the reply, 25 October 2001, c. 400W
	Applications for the grant of a Lord Mayoralty have been received from the following cities:
	Bath
	Cambridge
	Carlisle
	Chichester Derby Exeter Gloucester Lancaster Lincoln
	St. Albans
	St. David's
	Salford
	Southampton
	Sunderland
	Truro
	Wolverhampton
	Worcester.
	All the applications for the grant of Lord Mayoralty and for the grants of city status in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee are receiving consideration. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor will announce the results as soon as possible.

Terrorist Finance

Joan Walley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent discussions he has had with the Isle of Man Government over terrorist finance; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: I have not had personal discussions with the Isle of Man Government on this issue, but there have been a number of contacts between the United Kingdom and Isle of Man Governments at official level. The Isle of Man already has strong anti-money laundering legislation. The Isle of Man Government have committed themselves to implementing the Financial Action Task Force Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing. The Isle of Man Government are moreover, introducing further anti-terrorism legislation, which includes new provisions to counteract terrorist financing. It will enable the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism to be extended to the Isle of Man.

Magistrates Courts (Worcestershire)

Peter Luff: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fines levied by magistrates courts in Worcestershire were collected in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available.

Michael Wills: Magistrates Courts Committees have responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed through the courts, including not only fines but also fees, compensation, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders. It is not possible to separate out just the fines from the total.
	It is not possible to provide the information requested in respect of Worcestershire only, as magistrates courts in Worcestershire are administered by West Mercia Magistrates Court Committee, which also covers Herefordshire and Shropshire and the information from these areas cannot be identified separately.
	In addition to impositions by magistrates in West Mercia Magistrates Courts during the period October 2000 to September 2001, further amounts were imposed by other agencies, including the Crown court and magistrates in other areas. Some amounts imposed in West Mercia were transferred to other areas for collection.
	The total amount of money collected by the courts in West Mercia included some amounts imposed in earlier periods, such as those being paid by instalment, and some amounts imposed in other areas, and therefore does not relate directly to an amount imposed in West Mercia.
	The proportion of money collected by West Mercia Magistrates Courts Committee during the period October 2000 to September 2001 as a percentage of new impositions was 67 per cent.

Jurors (Allowances)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which payments to jurors meet the financial consequences of their appointment.

Michael Wills: No assessment is made of the extent to which payments to jurors meet the financial consequences of their appointment. However, a potential juror can apply to a Crown court judge for excusal if they feel that they will suffer any financial loss through completing jury service. The maximum allowances payable to jurors are reviewed each year and are, as a general rule, increased in line with inflation. Lord Justice Auld has recommended a full review of the allowances payable to jurors. The Government are considering this as part of the package of recommendations.

Lay Magistrates

Charles Hendry: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) lay magistrates and (b) vacancies for lay magistrates there are, broken down by county.

Michael Wills: The total number of lay magistrates in England and Wales is published in the "Judicial Appointments Annual Report". The table taken from the 2000–01 edition shows the total number of lay magistrates, broken down by commission area. Figures are not kept broken down by county.
	The numbers of magistrates required on each Bench is determined each year by the Lord Chancellor's local Advisory Committee. It is determined after consultation with the Bench chairman and magistrates courts committee with the aim of achieving average sittings for each magistrate within the range 35 to 45 half-days a year. The number depends on such factors as work load and the number of expected retirements and resignations, and the capacity of the Bench to cope with new appointments. Each Advisory Committee has a different recruitment cycle so the total number of vacancies is constantly changing. However, in the year ending 31 March 2001 the Lord Chancellor appointed 1,366 new magistrates against 1,667 vacancies that Advisory Committees hoped to fill (81.9 per cent.) The target is that by 2003 at least 95 per cent. of vacancies are filled every year.
	
		Lay magistrates (excluding Duchy of Lancaster)—1 April 2001
		
			   Age Gender  
			 Commission area Total Under 40 40–49 50–59 60–69 Male Female 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 908 37 181 413 277 448 460 
			 Bedfordshire 291 12 50 139 90 148 143 
			 Cambridgeshire 345 12 73 162 98 169 176 
			 Cheshire 495 33 98 216 148 247 248 
			 City of London 120 7 33 52 28 55 65 
			 Cleveland 428 20 93 192 123 236 192 
			 Cumbria 306 12 45 153 96 157 149 
			 Derbyshire 438 16 68 212 142 230 208 
			 Devon and Cornwall 736 24 105 355 252 374 362 
			 Dorset 352 7 64 165 116 182 170 
			 Durham 308 14 63 143 88 172 136 
			 Dyfed 240 3 49 116 72 146 94 
			 East Sussex 405 8 66 182 149 191 214 
			 Essex 647 14 116 342 175 329 318 
			 Gloucestershire 294 6 47 143 98 159 135 
			 Gwent 302 12 37 145 108 159 143 
			 Hampshire 787 46 141 379 221 393 394 
			 Hereford and Worcester 408 8 75 193 132 218 190 
			 Hertfordshire 454 28 100 185 141 213 241 
			 Humberside 450 13 81 231 125 218 232 
			 Inner London 789 33 140 342 274 323 466 
			 Isle of Wight 63 1 14 26 22 35 28 
			 Kent 795 21 147 389 238 430 365 
			 Leicestershire 522 19 98 234 171 272 250 
			 Lincolnshire 397 20 66 196 115 187 210 
			 Middlesex 950 40 172 430 308 444 506 
			 Norfolk 441 12 64 220 145 214 227 
			 North East London 546 38 117 240 151 299 247 
			 North Yorkshire 375 8 77 177 113 187 188 
			 Northamptonshire 339 10 55 152 122 175 164 
			 Northumberland 189 7 34 70 78 91 98 
			 North Wales 402 5 43 202 152 231 171 
			 Nottinghamshire 681 31 114 277 259 340 341 
			 Powys 86 4 16 40 26 46 40 
			 Shropshire 271 5 52 124 90 147 124 
			 South East London 409 21 94 173 121 212 197 
			 South Wales 551 18 91 256 186 287 264 
			 South West London 374 13 68 180 113 173 201 
			 South Yorkshire 740 46 125 320 249 394 346 
			 Staffordshire 572 23 122 249 178 298 274 
			 Suffolk 352 11 56 194 91 185 167 
			 Surrey 387 16 74 165 132 179 208 
			 Thames Valley 937 29 145 488 275 439 498 
			 Tyne and Wear 762 34 152 351 225 413 349 
			 Warwickshire 204 4 34 104 62 106 98 
			 West Glamorgan 275 7 32 117 119 148 127 
			 West Midlands 1,684 88 345 720 531 885 799 
			 West Sussex 349 16 65 161 107 177 172 
			 West Yorkshire 1,329 76 283 600 370 674 655 
			 Wiltshire 286 7 50 145 84 140 146 
			  
			 Total 24,771 995 4,530 11,460 7,786 12,575 12,196 
			 Percentage of total 100 4 18.3 46.3 31.4 50.8 49.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Political affiliation Ethnic background  
			 Commission area Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat Plaid Cymru Other and uncommitted White Black Asian Other Not known 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 294 191 149 0 274 840 16 9 4 39 
			 Bedfordshire 111 54 39 0 87 258 4 15 5 9 
			 Cambridgeshire 132 84 40 0 89 325 1 4 0 15 
			 Cheshire 178 137 52 1 127 484 2 5 2 2 
			 City of London 42 21 14 0 43 88 12 2 3 15 
			 Cleveland 161 137 41 0 89 372 0 8 3 45 
			 Cumbria 107 66 21 0 112 302 0 1 1 2 
			 Derbyshire 169 116 56 0 97 422 4 8 1 3 
			 Devon and Cornwall 290 111 137 0 198 700 0 2 5 29 
			 Dorset 155 42 73 0 82 334 2 3 0 13 
			 Durham 68 118 19 0 103 301 2 4 0 1 
			 Dyfed 59 60 36 35 50 232 0 0 0 8 
			 East Sussex 159 79 49 0 118 381 1 5 3 15 
			 Essex 262 125 105 0 155 597 6 2 1 41 
			 Gloucestershire 145 39 48 0 62 244 4 5 1 40 
			 Gwent 75 87 21 4 115 285 1 5 0 11 
			 Hampshire 270 147 130 0 240 747 4 9 11 16 
			 Hereford and Worcester 195 95 54 0 64 366 1 4 3 34 
			 Hertfordshire 154 118 64 0 118 413 7 7 2 25 
			 Humberside 188 121 49 0 92 443 0 5 2 0 
			 Inner London 313 252 96 0 128 596 75 15 16 87 
			 Isle of Wight 25 8 10 0 20 58 2 0 0 3 
			 Kent 334 150 131 0 180 664 7 18 7 99 
			 Leicestershire 187 121 69 0 145 476 13 22 7 4 
			 Lincolnshire 172 70 58 2 95 351 0 5 2 39 
			 Middlesex 357 292 94 0 207 729 71 71 23 56 
			 Norfolk 162 102 69 0 108 384 1 3 4 49 
			 North East London 182 194 64 0 106 394 42 33 10 67 
			 North Yorkshire 151 69 58 0 97 353 0 2 4 16 
			 Northamptonshire 173 78 54 0 34 321 7 11 0 0 
			 Northumberland 66 40 26 1 56 189 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 139 103 74 50 36 393 1 2 1 5 
			 Nottinghamshire 252 189 78 0 162 632 17 15 5 12 
			 Powys 25 10 20 3 28 84 0 0 0 2 
			 Shropshire 105 64 58 0 44 262 1 2 2 4 
			 South East London 147 95 65 1 101 345 19 14 9 22 
			 South Wales 134 163 76 16 162 519 4 8 6 14 
			 South West London 168 73 78 0 55 237 10 5 6 116 
			 South Yorkshire 214 258 103 0 165 700 10 17 6 7 
			 Staffordshire 210 181 53 0 128 546 1 18 1 6 
			 Suffolk 107 68 52 1 124 344 1 3 4 0 
			 Surrey 162 62 43 0 120 370 1 3 6 7 
			 Thames Valley 359 175 137 0 266 859 23 22 8 25 
			 Tyne and Wear 214 264 102 0 182 697 4 9 7 45 
			 Warwickshire 79 50 42 0 33 191 2 9 1 1 
			 West Glamorgan 83 106 37 10 39 271 0 3 1 0 
			 West Midlands 584 558 195 0 347 1,434 72 103 12 63 
			 West Sussex 126 75 74 0 94 334 3 4 2 6 
			 West Yorkshire 411 440 173 0 305 1,089 33 74 10 123 
			 Wiltshire 119 48 47 0 72 272 3 4 0 7 
			  
			 Total 8,974 6,306 3,413 124 5,954 22,228 490 598 207 1,248 
			 Percentage of total 36.2 25.5 13.8 0.5 24 89.7 2 2.4 0.8 5 
		
	
	
		Lay magistrates (Duchy of Lancaster)—1 April 2001
		
			   Age Gender  
			 Commission area Total Under 40 40–49 50–59 60–69 Male Female 
		
		
			 Greater Manchester 1,931 78 368 898 587 901 940 
			 Lancashire 1,041 21 164 499 357 560 481 
			 Merseyside 992 43 179 424 346 513 479 
		
	
	
		
			  Political affiliation Ethnic background  
			 Commission area Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat Plaid Cymru Other and uncommitted White Black Asian Other Not known 
		
		
			 Greater Manchester 577 624 237 0 493 1,789 41 80 18 3 
			 Lancashire 283 246 69 0 443 995 3 34 9 0 
			 Merseyside 278 249 161 0 304 964 8 14 6 0